Burt Reynolds Classic Added to Paramount+
Fans of late actor Burt Reynolds now have the chance to easily watch one of his most iconic films. Reynolds' 1974 film The Longest Yard, about a pro-football player who ends up in jail, is now available for streaming on Paramount+ alongside a roster of other popular movies and series.
The film joined Paramount+'s growing lineup of titles in early May, officially arriving on Monday, May 2. It arrived alongside a list of other titles, including 50 First Dates, (500) Days of Summer, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Groundhog Day, Mean Girls, several Mission Impossible films, The Addams Family, and War of the Worlds, among others. Other May additions to the library have included The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Seasons 1 through 3 of T@gged.
Making its theatrical debut in New York on August 21, 1974, The Longest Yard stars Reynolds Paul "Wrecking" Crewe, a former pro football star who is sentenced to 18 months in Citrus State Prison following a police chase. While in prison, he is forced by the warden to organize a team of inmates to play against his own line-up of guards. Directed by Robert Aldrich and written by Tracy Keenan Wynn, The Longest Yard also stars Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, and Mike Conrad.
The Longest Yard proved to be a success, earning $22 million in North American theatrical rentals. The film currently holds a 79% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus reads, "equal parts tough and funny, and led by a perfectly cast Burt Reynolds, The Longest Yard has an interesting political subtext and an excellent climax -- even if it takes too long to get there." Audience members gave the movie a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the decades since its release, The Longest Yard has been remade multiple times. The British film Mean Machine starring Vinnie Jones was released in 2001, with the 2015 Egyptian film Captain Masr also a remake. In 2005, Reynolds, starring as coach Nate Scarborough, joined Adam Sandler for another remake. The original film is currently available for streaming on Paramount+. Paramount+ offers two subscription tiers – the Essential Plan and the Premium Plan. Costing $4.99 per month, the Essential Plan is an ad-based plan. The ad-free plan, the Premium Plan, costs $9.99 per month.