‘Road House’ Director Doug Liman Says ’50 Million People’ Streamed the Film, but ‘I Didn’t Get a Cent.

Sounds like he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Scarlett Johansson successfully shaked down some cheddar from the mouse due to her deal for Black Widow including back-end money from box office returns, which she argued were lessened due to it going on Disney+. Unless Liman had a similar deal he is up shit creek!

Variety reported at the time that “Road House” was always intended for a global streaming release. Sources familiar with the negotiations said that Liman, Gyllenhaal and producer Joel Silver were given a choice: Make the film for $60 million and get a theatrical release or take $85 million and go streaming only. They opted for the latter, and it’s unclear what the terms of the deal was in terms of backpay. Gyllenhaal later confirmed the report in an interview with Total Film magazine.

“I adore Doug’s tenacity, and I think he is advocating for filmmakers, and film in the cinema, and theatrical releases. But, I mean, Amazon was always clear that it was streaming,” Gyllenhaal said at the time. “I just want as many people to see it as possible. And I think we’re living in a world that’s changing in how we see and watch movies, and how they’re made. What’s clear to me, and what I loved so much, was [Liman’s] deep love for this movie, and his pride at how much he cares for it, how good he feels it is, and how much people should see it.”

Liman’s issue now is with the lack of compensation based on the film’s giant streaming numbers. He told IndieWire that his experience making “The Instigators” for Apple was far different.

“In the case of Apple, right from the beginning, we said we’re making this for streaming, our contracts compensated streaming, we’re all compensated for it being on streaming — there’s something called a streaming buyout — so Apple has been above-board from the beginning,” he explained.

I’m sure he was compensated in accordance with is contract.