Ronda Rousey initially agreed to star in the remake of “Road House,” a move that seemed poised to catapult her further into mainstream Hollywood. However, Conor McGregor ultimately took on the role. While Rousey hasn’t publicly dwelled on the missed opportunity, her explanation sheds light on the importance of script development in the film industry. In an interview with Complex, Rousey detailed the circumstances surrounding her decision to pass on the project.
The original concept envisioned Rousey in a prominent action role, signaling Hollywood’s potential to build franchises around combat athletes. However, Rousey found herself in a familiar situation: awaiting material that met her high standards.
Why Ronda Rousey Declined “Road House”: “We Never Received a Script That Was Fully Developed”
“I believe the script holds immense importance,” Rousey stated to Complex. “We simply never received a script that was entirely complete. I think the rush to push a project forward and make a movie without a solid script is precisely why so many bad films are made.”
This stance isn’t about being overly critical of the role. Rousey sought counsel from someone with intimate knowledge of the “Road House” legacy: Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze’s widow, who was involved in the 2024 version of the film.
Recalling their conversation, Rousey shared, “I actually spoke with Patrick Swayze’s widow, and she said, ‘I want her blessing to do it.’ She then added, ‘Just make sure it doesn’t suck.’ And I thought, ‘Well, that’s a lot of pressure.'” [laughs] “I never reached a point where it wouldn’t have sucked.”
By the time script issues remained unresolved, the film industry had already progressed. With multiple “Road House” remakes in various stages of development or completion, revisiting the material felt redundant. Instead of forcing a project that didn’t feel right, Rousey redirected her attention to future endeavors.
During the interview, Rousey highlighted a perceived gap in action cinema that she believes remains unaddressed. “There’s never been a film featuring two women who can simultaneously command the camera and execute fight choreography effectively,” she observed. She expressed interest in a potential collaboration with Gina Carano, another accomplished MMA fighter who has proven her on-screen talent in productions like “Haywire” and “The Mandalorian.”
Regarding the 2024 “Road House” film, Rousey admitted she hasn’t watched much of it. “I watched the beginning, but I have two children,” she explained. Nowadays, her movie-watching experiences are often interrupted by her children’s requests for animated films. “I can’t recall the last time I was able to watch a movie from start to finish that wasn’t something like ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ or ‘Encanto.’ I saw the end of the fight sequence and the beginning of the movie.” Ultimately, sometimes the wisest creative decision is knowing when to decline, and at other times, life’s demands simply make it difficult to keep up with new releases.
Rousey’s comments surface shortly before her return to MMA. She is scheduled to face Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA 1 on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, which will stream live on Netflix as the platform’s inaugural live MMA broadcast. The fight is set for five five-minute rounds in the featherweight division under the Unified Rules of MMA, utilizing standard four-ounce gloves. This bout marks Rousey’s first MMA appearance in nearly a decade and a highly anticipated meeting between two prominent early crossover stars from the sport.
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Why Ronda Rousey Passed on Road House Before Conor McGregor Joined: “The Script Is So Important”
When Ronda Rousey was first slated to star in the remake of “Road House,” it appeared to be her next significant step into mainstream Hollywood. Conor McGregor eventually took on the role instead, and while the fighter-turned-actress hasn’t dwelled on the missed opportunity, her reasoning reveals something about how scripts are developed in the industry. Speaking with Complex, Rousey explained what happened behind the scenes and why she ultimately passed on the project.
The original plan had Rousey stepping into a classic action role, a moment that seemed to signal Hollywood’s readiness to build franchises around combat athletes. Instead, she found herself in a familiar position: waiting for the material to meet her standards.
Why Ronda Rousey Passed on Road House: “We Just Never Got a Script That Was 100% There”
“I think the script is so important,” Rousey told Complex. “We just never got a script that was 100% there. I think that people rushing a project and making a movie happen when the script isn’t there is why bad movies happen.”
This isn’t Rousey being precious about the role. She consulted with someone who had direct experience with the Road House legacy: the widow of Patrick Swayze, Lisa Niemi, who appeared in the 2024 version that eventually made it to screen.
Rousey recalled the conversation: “I actually spoke to Patrick Swayze’s widow, and she was like, ‘I want to get her blessing to do it.’ And she was like, ‘Just make sure it doesn’t suck.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, that’s a lot of pressure.’” [laughs] “I never got to a place where it wouldn’t have sucked.”
By the time the script questions remained unresolved, the industry had already moved forward. Multiple Road House remakes were either in development or completed, making another pass at the material feel redundant. Rather than force a project that didn’t feel right, Rousey shifted her focus to future possibilities.
What caught her attention during the interview was a gap in action cinema that she believes remains unfilled. “There’s never been a movie done before with two women that know how to be on camera and know how to fight on camera at the same time,” she said. She’s eyeing a potential collaboration with Gina Carano, another MMA athlete who proved herself as an on-screen talent through productions like Haywire and The Mandalorian.
As for the 2024 Road House film itself, Rousey hasn’t seen much of it. “I watched the beginning, but I have two children,” she explained. These days, her movie watching gets interrupted by her kids’ demands for animated favorites. “I can’t remember the last time I was able to watch a movie from beginning to end that wasn’t like My Neighbor Totoro or Encanto. I saw the ending of the fight and I saw the beginning.” Sometimes the best creative decision is knowing when to say no, and sometimes life just gets in the way of keeping up with new releases.
Rousey’s comments come just days before her return to MMA, where she is set to face Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA 1 on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, streaming live on Netflix as the platform’s first live MMA card. The fight is scheduled for five five-minute rounds at featherweight under the Unified Rules of MMA, with standard four-ounce gloves, and it marks Rousey’s first MMA bout in nearly a decade as well as a meeting between two of the sport’s early crossover stars.