With the remake of “Road House” set to launch on Amazon Prime on March 21, 2024, the film has already been surrounded by deep controversy.
The original screenwriter of the 1989 version is accusing Amazon of copyright infringement, which has put the release of the new version into question.
Road House Is about a UFC Fighter
For those who haven’t seen the original version, “Road House” is about a smart, scruffy bouncer at a notoriously rough Southern bar. The lead was originally Patrick Swayze.
The new version is set to star Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead role, but there are some questions as to who holds the rights to the film.
The Original Screenwriter Filed a Lawsuit
Screenwriter David Lee Henry, whose real name is R. Lance Hill, wrote the original screenplay in 1986, which inspired the 1989 film.
Hill is suing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Amazon Studios for copyright infringement, as he believes that Amazon has overstepped the copyright agreement, according to Variety.
A Petition Was Filed in 2021
This claim isn’t new, as R. Lance Hill filed a petition with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2021, where he requested that the rights should go to him when the initial claim with United Artists’ was going to expire in November 2023.
Hill says that Amazon ignored it and went ahead with the new film anyway. Hill also says that Amazon has used AI instead of the actor’s voices.
R. Lance Hill Alerted United Artists About the Lawsuit
It could be said that United Artists wasn’t aware that R. Lance Hill had filed the petition; however, this is not the case.
Hill’s lawsuit states that he made United Artists aware of what was going on and told them of his plans to get the rights to “Road House.”
There Is Doubt Over How R. Lance Hill Wrote the Road House Script
The outcome of R. Lance Hill’s lawsuit is likely going to depend on whether he had been hired by United Artists to write the script.
Hill maintains that he had written the script first, and United Artists had then obtained the 1986 grant once the script was complete. However, if this is found to be untrue, it could make it difficult for Hill to win the lawsuit.
Amazon Allegedly Used AI Due to the SAG Strike
In 2023, the SAG strike put a limitation on many productions no matter what stage they were at, essentially shutting Hollywood down, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
Because of this, Amazon decided to use AI to recreate the actors’ voices, which was something that went against the bargaining agreements of SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America.
Amazon Did Not Meet the Copyright Deadline
Despite the copyright running out on Nov. 10, 2023, and with R. Lance Hill stating this meant he had the rights to “Road House” on Nov. 11, 2023, this deadline was ignored.
However, Hill is alleging that Amazon didn’t meet this deadline and that the film wasn’t finished until January 2024, and if true, means Amazon has broken the copyright terms.
Others Have Also Accused Amazon of Using AI
R. Lance Hill isn’t the only person accusing Amazon of using AI, as producer Joel Silver was fired by them for this accusation, according to Variety.
At the time, it was announced that he was fired due to verbal abuse he had used on film sets. However, some sources claim that he was fired for raising the alarm about Amazon’s use of AI, something Amazon completely denies.
The Road House Remake Acknowledges the Original
With R. Lance Hill not only accusing Amazon of copyright infringement but also of copying his original script, the remake has acknowledged Hill’s work.
The credits of the remake of “Road House” apparently say “based on the motion picture ‘Road House,’ Screenplay by David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin, Story by David Lee Henry,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Amazon Denies the Allegations
Despite numerous people coming forward and stating the streamer has used AI, Amazon strongly denies this.
The company has said that the allegations are completely false and that the voices are the real actors. Amazon has also said that they are looking forward to defending themselves against the allegations.
A Source Has Said That Some AI Was Used
Amazon may have denied the AI allegations, but a source close to Amazon Studios has said that some AI was used, but not how R. Lance Hill is claiming.
The source has stated that any AI that was used, was used “during early cuts of the film” and that studio executives had “instructed the filmmakers to remove any AI or nonunion performers from the final cut,” as stated in The Los Angeles Times.
AI-Generated Audio Can Be Hard to Detect
It may be up to audiences to see if they can tell if the audio is AI-generated when they watch the new remake of “Road House.”
However, as NBC News has reported, AI-generated audio is hard to detect in terms of its legitimacy, so only time will tell whether R. Lance Hill is telling the truth or not.
