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Production

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Development and pre-production

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The development of a remake of 1974's The Longest Yard began in July 2003, when Paramount Pictures struck a deal with Adam Sandler and film producer Jack Giarraputo's Happy Madison Productions to produce it. Paramount and Happy Madison envisioned the remake as a broad comedy that would stick to the premise of the original, although Sandler would not be joining the cast, which would include "urban music stars" instead.[1] "Although we plan to update quite a few things, the overall story will remain intact. We want to keep the same blend of comedy and grit that made the first one a classic," said Giarraputo.[2] By January 2004, Sheldon Turner's first screenplay draft had been greenlit by Paramount, prompting Sandler to reprise Burt Reynolds' role from the original film, Paul Crewe, which he passed on several months prior.[2]

Sandler (2011)
Reynolds (2011)
Adam Sandler had passed on the role of Paul Crewe, which was originally played by Burt Reynolds in 1974, until he read the remake's first screenplay draft. Reynolds was cast as the inmates' football coach, Nate Scarborough.

John Papsidera served as casting director.[3] The ensemble cast featured comedians, rap artists, and professional wrestlers and football players, among others.[2][4] In January 2004, Chris Rock and Snoop Dogg entered negotiations to play Caretaker and a member of Crewe's football team, respectively.[2] Reynolds, initially approached by Sandler to appear in a cameo, was cast as the inmates' football coach in April 2004, when Rock was also confirmed to have joined but Dogg, who was no longer attached to the project.[4][5] Rock had signed on by virtue of his warm friendship and occasional collaboration with Sandler.[4] Amused by a videotape of Joey Diaz "goofing around in football gear", Sandler cast him on an equal footing with his more popular co-stars in addition to Terry Crews, who would credit Sandler, his eventual collaborator, with giving him his big break with The Longest Yard.[4][6] Tracy Morgan, who nearly passed on playing a transvestite inmate and cheerleader due to fatherhood, said he reconsidered it because he realized he could take on a somewhat daring role "and show some range".[7] Nelly signed on in his studio film debut because of Rock and Sandler's involvement.[4] Cloris Leachman, who had worked with Sandler on Spanglish (2004), was 79 at the time of her casting in the role of the warden's sexually-uninhibited elderly wife, making her one of the few women in the cast.[4] Bill Goldberg was cast due to his background as an NFL player and actor playing hypermasculine roles in action films; India's Dalip Singh was among those who auditioned "for a towering, fearsome newcomer", securing the part in his film debut.[4] Michael Irvin signed on after Sandler was able to prove he could play the former wide receiver in a one-on-one basketball match;[8] Bill Romanowski felt he could embody his role of a sadistic linebacker and prison guard by replicating his negative public image both on and off the playing field.[4] The film marked the last on-screen appearance of Edward Bunker, who played an inmate and would die at 71 in 2005,[9] as well as the second time Sandler worked with Michael Papajohn, his stunt double on The Waterboy (1998) who played Guard Papajohn, the namesake's preferred name over Guard Smither.[10] Frequent Sandler collaborator Rob Schneider appeared in a cameo as an inmate who exclaims his usual catchphrase "You can do it,"[11] and an uncredited Courteney Cox played the well-endowed, overbearing rich girlfriend of the Sandler character.[12]

In February 2004, Peter Segal signed on to direct a few days after the world premiere of his then-latest film with Sandler, 50 First Dates, making The Longest Yard his third collaboration with Sandler, whom he first directed on Anger Management (2003).[13] Segal "felt good" upon learning that the original Longest Yard was being remade from a script by Turner, who he thought honored the source material.[14]

Filming and stunts

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Filming took place at the now-defunct New Mexico State Penitentiary's Old Main building amid the sweltering summer heat in addition to Los Angeles, California. Pictured here is Old Main's recreation yard in 2012.

Frequent Sandler collaborators Dean Semler and Perry Andelin Blake served as cinematographer and production designer.[3][15][16] Principal photography lasted 15 weeks on location at the now-defunct New Mexico State Penitentiary's Old Main building in Santa Fe—where "almost two-thirds of the film" was shot amid the sweltering summer heat—and Los Angeles, California, in the period from July to October 2004.[4][17][18] The opportunities of a fifteen-percent tax rebate and waiving of location fees led to New Mexico being chosen over three other shooting locations considered for the film.[19] Segal stated that the lack of enough cameras to capture the same extensive coverage of the average football game meant sending the actors to "boot camp" to choreograph their action scenes over a four-week period, the footage of which would then be cut "play by play and you really have to tell a story".[14]

With football being a full-contact sport that can result to serious injuries, Segal made it a point to leave his cast unscathed until the end of the shoot while also keeping the game sequences as realistic as possible.[14] To that end, players of the Arena Football League and NFL Europe were hired to double for the actors,[20] notwithstanding Sandler's decision to perform most of his stunts.[14] The actors and doubles trained under Pat O'Hara, who choreographed the game sequences with his colleague Jon Gruden as well as helped Sean Salisbury coach Sandler. O'Hara said he convinced the doubles to simulate the characters' rookie plays until "they gradually get better" to maintain continuity in the storyline.[18]

Release

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Box office

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Critical response

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The film received a mixed-to-negative critical reception upon its release.[21][22]

Post-release

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Retrospective reception and aftermath

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Home media

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References

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  1. ^ McNary, Dave (July 21, 2003). "Paramount will tackle 'Yard' redo". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d McNary, Dave (January 25, 2003). "Par sets 'Yard' lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "The Longest Yard - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Breznican, Anthony (May 27, 2005). "Huddle Up for 'Longest Yard'; Sandler and Team Played Hard to Bring '74 Classic Back to Screen". USA Today. p. E1. ProQuest 408985209.
  5. ^ McNary, Dave (April 28, 2004). "Reynolds skeds more 'Yard' work". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Jordan, Julie; Stone, Natalie (November 6, 2019). "AGT''s Terry Crews Says Adam Sandler 'Gave Me a Career': 'He Always Included Me'". People. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Thompson, Bob (May 26, 2005). "Longest Card: SNL Alumnus Tracy Morgan Lends a Few Laughs to Adam Sandler's New Film". National Post. ProQuest 330416321.
  8. ^ McNary, Dave (July 7, 2004). "Pros toe the line for 'Yard'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Crime writer Bunker dies aged 71". BBC News. July 25, 2005. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  10. ^ Miller, Robin (November 20, 2023). "Former LSU baseball player turns 'The Waterboy' stunt double work into film career". The Advocate. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Hanson, Elise (November 29, 2020). "Every Adam Sandler Movie Character In Multiple Films". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  12. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (May 25, 2005). "The Longest Yard". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  13. ^ McNary, Dave (February 17, 2004). "'Dates' helmer goes longer for 'Yard'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Portman, Jamie (May 21, 2005). "Longest Yard a Challenge". Brantford Expositor. p. D6. ProQuest 346023742.
  15. ^ Schilling, Dave (October 28, 2015). "An Obsessive 'Ridiculous 6' Trailer Deconstruction". Grantland. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  16. ^ "Perry Andelin Blake". Interiors Journal. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  17. ^ Mayfield, Dan (May 20, 2004). "Sandler Project Filming in N.M.". Albuquerque Journal. p. D3. ProQuest 324222635.
  18. ^ a b Pastor, Frank (May 27, 2005). "For "Longest Yard,' Hollywood taken by Storm". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  19. ^ McNary, Dave (May 19, 2004). "New Mexico wins 'Yard'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Barnes, Dan (February 5, 2005). "A New Longest Yards in the Cards: Comics Sandler and Rock star in Remake". Edmonton Journal. p. C1. ProQuest 253209330.
  21. ^ Legan, Mark Jordan (May 27, 2005). "Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Madagascar,' 'The Longest Yard,' 'The League of Ordinary Gentlemen'". Slate. NPR. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  22. ^ Cohen, Noam (June 6, 2005). "How a Movie Left a Critic Pondering a Review Remake". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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