Paramount Pictures is developing yet another remake of the prison football comedy The Longest Yard. The first film starred Burt Reynolds and was released in 1974. In 2005 the first remake came with Adam Sandler starring in it. This next remake is coming from Rodney Barnes, who was an executive producer and writer on HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
The 1974 movie was directed by Robert Aldrich. Reynolds played Paul Crewe in the movie, a former professional football player who finds himself in prison after a series of poor life choices. In an effort to raise the morale of his fellow inmates and strike back at the abusive prison guards, Crewe organizes a football game between the prisoners and the prison’s guards.
The 2005 remake was directed by Peter Segal. In this version, Sandler steps into the role of Paul Crewe, a former NFL quarterback who, after a string of legal troubles, ends up in prison. Like the original, the story follows Crewe as he is recruited to coach and lead a team of inmates in a high-stakes football game against the prison guards. The remake had its own style of humor, with Sandler’s signature comedic touch, and features an ensemble cast that includes Chris Rock, Nelly, and Burt Reynolds, who reprises his role from the 1974 original. The movie maintained the core plot of the original film, but added a contemporary sense of humor.
I imagine this new remake will tell the same story but be updated once again for the modern era. I mean, I liked the original film, and the remake was also actually pretty fun! But, why are they remaking it again?! It’s not really that interesting of a story to retell a third time. This is the state that Hollywood is in right now. Paramount Pictures can’t get a new Star Trek movie off the ground, but they can push forward another remake of The Longest Yard.
The movie comes from Gunpowder & Sky, whose CEO Van Toffler was an executive producer on the 2005 version of the movie.
Source: Deadline
