It’s a fairly common refrain that we “don’t make movie stars anymore.” And while that’s proven to be a highly debatable hot take, one thing we know to be unequivocally true is: We don’t make movie stars like Patrick Swayze anymore.
Swayze was simply built different. The late actor had an unassailable run in the ’80s and ’90s, proving he could do it all, from romantic lead (Dirty Dancing, Ghost) to action (anti)hero (Road House, Point Break) with some comedy chops to boot (To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar). Also, he was super hot, which certainly didn’t hurt—People even named him the “Sexiest Man Alive” in ’91. Deserved!
Men wanted to be him, women wanted to be with him—and, yeah, you bet your *ss men wanted to be with him, too. Masculine yet graceful, wise-cracking but genuine, dangerous while still comforting; Swayze was the whole package.
Need further proof? Just watch him nearly charm the coat right off this doctor in the 1989 action romp, Road House:
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Speaking of Road House, it was announced in 2021 that Edge Of Tomorrow director Doug Liman would be remaking the film, about a bouncer hired to protect a small-town bar from a corrupt businessman, with Jake Gyllenhaal stepping into Swayze’s role.
Related: The 16 LGBTQ+ movies we’re most looking forward to in 2023
Now, Gyllenhaal (who starred in Donnie Darko, which notably featured Swayze in a supporting role) has certainly proven he’s more than just Hollywood good looks, with a track record for bringing a character actor’s panache to his projects of late. But can he stack up against the original star and convincingly play a tough guy who wouldn’t hesitate to smash your face into a bar? To be determined!
This past week, we got an early glimpse of the remake, which showed Gyllenhaal facing off against a bruiser played by UFC champ Connor McGregor. Come on, Gyllenhaal couldn’t take that guy, could he?
New photos for Jake Gyllenhaal upcoming movie “Roadhouse” ? pic.twitter.com/RNJ5FX4OYP
— J. Gyllenhaal Updates (@badpostsjake) January 13, 2023
And—trend alert!—just this week, it was revealed that none other than Channing Tatum has the rights to Swayze’s blockbuster supernatural romance Ghost (it was the highest grossing movie of ’91), which he hopes to remake and star in.
One thing Tatum has going for him is that the man sure can dance—not that the original Ghost featured any dance breaks that we can remember. But, if an actor’s really gunning to be the modern-day Swayze, who unforgettably showed off his professionally trained moves in Dirty Dancing, then Tatum makes a good case for himself.
But can Tatum bring the passion to Ghost? He’s done his fair share of rom-coms and weepies over the years, but many critics would argue that “love interest” isn’t his strong suit. And we’re talking serious stuff here—we need someone that can pull off the iconic pottery-making scene, which arguably defined romance for an entire generation. Can he do it?
You know what, somebody get Tatum shirtless and sit him down in front of a potter’s wheel stat—we’re willing to find out!
All of that is to say, it’s not necessarily a coincidence that two of today’s biggest stars are moving forward with these remakes at the same time. They heard people saying we “don’t make movie stars anymore” and decided to try to prove them wrong by emulating one of the best to ever do it: Patrick Swayze.
For now, we’ll give Gyllenhaal and Tatum the benefit of the doubt. We certainly won’t complain about two of our most swoon-worthy screen idols swinging big to follow in Swayze’s footsteps.
But if they really want to prove they can take over the late actor’s mantle? They’re going to need to get into drag.
Related: 25 years on, John Leguizamo dishes on how he and Patrick Swayze almost got in a fistfight…in drag
Chrisk
Hard to believe it’s been that long since Ghost.
DuMaurier
I’m not as hostile to remakes in general as a lot of people, but some movies just don’t need it. “Ghost” was hardly a great work of art, it was kind of clunky and cheesy (they’d definitely do better supernatural special effects now—those stupid shadows supposed to be demons!), but it was one of those films where everything clicked and came together in a way that can’t be replicated, and where there’s just no reason to try.
dwick
I just watched it the other day and I thought the shadows worked. They’re not demons-they’re just something that pulls the bad guys into hell.
Diplomat
I like Tatum but he is a bit wooden on the romantic end. Redo Ghost? Why tamper with perfection…?
dwick
I don’t know who they could get to play the Demi and Whoopi roles. Maybe they could bring Whoopi back. I’d pay to see her play Oda Mae again.
Diplomat
She was awesome. “You in danger grrl” Noone can deliver that line like Whoopi.
Peter
There have to be hundreds of great, original scripts begging to be made but we get remakes. It’s all about greed.