The Longest Yard Remake in the Works at Paramount Pictures
The Big Picture
- The original 1974 version of The Longest Yard was critically acclaimed and received an Oscar nomination, blending comedy and drama.
- The 2005 remake of The Longest Yard took a lighter, more comedic approach and featured a variety of professional athletes in the cast.
- While the 2005 film was a commercial success for Adam Sandler, he has publicly expressed that it doesn't compare to the original and is not his best work.
The Longest Yard is set for another remake by Paramount Pictures, per Deadline. Since it's 1974 release, The Longest Yard had a successful remake in 2005 directed by Peter Segal. The upcoming remake is from Gunpowder & Sky's current CEO Van Toffler, and former MTV Films boss David Gale, both of whom executive produced the 2005 remake with Adam Sandler in the lead role. The movie will be penned by Rodney Barnes who served as an executive producer on HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
1974's version of The Longest Yard stars Burt Reynolds as Paul "Wrecking" Crewe, a former football star who faces prison time due to run-in with the law. It grossed over $43 million at the box office worldwide and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 76%. In 2005, the film was remade with Sandler, Chris Rock, and Reynolds once more — however this time he portrayed coach Nate Scarborough. Commercially, the film did well, grossing over $190 million worldwide. However, with a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 31%, Sandler has since publically condemned the remake, suggesting that it "didn't make sense" and could not compare to the original, via Golf Digest.
Both versions of The Longest Yard follow the similar plot and both movies outline how the character Paul (portrayed by Reynolds and Sandler respectively) takes part in a high-speed chase after drinking late one night with his girlfriend. Paul crashes the car and gets into it with a few cops, resulting in him having to complete a sentence of 18 months in prison. During his time there, Paul faces backlash from decisions he made while playing professionally, such as shaving off points. However, the warden at the prison is an avid NFL fan, and convinces Paul to help create a successful football team for his prison guards.
The Original 1974 Movie Was Critically Acclaimed and Oscar-Nominated
CloseThe original film was an Oscar-nominated movie that gently tipped the line between drama and comedy. The 2005 version falls directly in the comedy category as it ditches the sometimes brutal and emotional weight that the original leaned into. It also includes a wide range of pro athletes ranging from professional football to wrestling to bring in some realism toward the players in the film. And while it is one of Sandler's highest-grossing and most recognizable films to date, it's certainly not his best work. Sandler tells Golf Digest, "I was like, if they’re doing it, I might as well be in it. Compared to the first one, not even close. It ended up doing alright. Paid for some things in our house." Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
Watch the 2005 Version on Netflix
The Longest Yard
PG-13 Release Date May 27, 2005 Director Peter Segal Cast Adam Sandler , Chris Rock , Burt Reynolds , Nelly , Michael Irvin , Walter Williamson Runtime 114 Main Genre ComedyncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kwamxjKWmp5%2BVqMFuxcCrm2aqlaKurLGMoqVmnJWrsq27z6acp6xf