Nearly 50 years after the original The Longest Yard hit theaters, the prison sports comedy is getting yet another remake. 

The Longest Yard first premiered in 1974 and was based on a story by Al Ruddy. It starred Burt Reynolds as Paul “Wrecking” Crewe, a former quarterback sentenced to 18 months in Citrus State Prison. During his time in the prison, Crewe puts together a football team of inmates called the Mean Machine. The team’s goal is to play (and win) against the prison guard’s team. The original film was directed by Robert Aldrich and written by Tracy Keenan. The film was notably remade in 2005 and starred Adam Sandler.

According to Deadline, Rodney Barnes, the executive producer and writer of HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is writing the upcoming remake. The film will be done by Gunpowder & Sky. The production company’s CEO Van Toffler was an executive producer for the 2005 version of The Longest Yard when he worked for Viacom. He is also producing with former MTV Films boss David Gale on the upcoming remake. 

Burt Reynolds Once Admitted to Never Seeing Adam Sandler’s Version of ‘The Longest Yard’ 

Before his death in September 2018, Burt Reynolds admitted he never saw Adam Sandler’s version of The Longest Yard despite him starring in the remake as Coach Nate Scarborough.  “I didn’t see it,” Reynolds declared while promoting his film The Last Movie Star. “I didn’t want to see it.”
Reynolds also recalled meeting with Sandler’s “minions” to discuss the film. “[There were] like seven people in an office. And they were all talking about how they were going to make the best picture of The Longest Yard. And I said, ‘Well, I hope you make a good one. But I don’t think you’re going to make a better one.” 

The acting legend further made it clear that he was only acting in the movie to get money. “I said, ‘Well, good luck. And how many days am I working? Three days?’ I said, ‘OK. And how much money is it? OK, this is good.’”

Meanwhile, Reynolds reflected on making the original The Longest Yard. He said he asked real inmates to help him. “I always make it a point to find out who is the toughest guy in the prison. And they tell me. And then I give him Baby Ruths and things like that. Anything he wants. And we got along swell. His name was Ringo. I’ll never forget.”

Reynolds then said that he and Ringo reunited years later while he was filming in Nashville. “[I was told], ‘Mr. Reynodls there’s a guy out there. Says he knows you.’ And so he came in. I said, ‘Ringo what happened? Did you have good behavior or something?’ ‘Actually I escaped.’ And I said, ‘Are they chasing you now?’ And he said, ‘Oh yeah! I was wondering if I can get a couple of bucks from you.’”