Variety reports that UFC star Ronda Rousey has signed on to act in a remake of 80s movie Road House, playing a woman version of the late Patrick Swayze’s character, Sam Elliot.The original Road House is about a bouncer who decides to move from New York to a small town in Missouri and become… a bouncer. But then he ends up fighting the businessman who controls the town and also becomes a hero.
Despite the film’s campy story, Rousey seems very serious about making a film that honors Swayze’s legacy. She allegedly even asked for permission from Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, before agreeing to star in the project.
“It is a great honor to play a part in celebrating the life of a man that inspired so many,” Rousey said in a statement released on Twitter. “I couldn’t be more grateful to have this opportunity to pay respect to the beloved Patrick Swayze…I promise to work incessantly to make sure this project is a tribute his family and friends can be proud of.”
Rousey’s transition from MMA athlete to action star is in full swing. Road House is the fourth film project being developed around her involvement, including an adaptation of Rousey’s own autobiography, My Fight/Your Fight.
MGM is currently vetting screenwriters and producers for Rousey’s Road House, and is expected to begin shooting in 2016.