Special Edition of 'Reagan' Biopic Rereleasing in Movie Theaters for America250

What could be more patriotic to honor our country during its 250th anniversary year than to memorialize one of its greatest leaders? That's set to happen as the "Reagan" biopic about our 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan, is making a return to movie theaters in 2026, according to Deadline.

Reagan, the biopic starring Dennis Quaid, is getting a theatrical re-release on July 4 weekend, tied to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

But it won't be the same version moviegoers saw during its initial run in 2024, the entertainment industry outlet said. This special edition includes 10 more minutes of footage that the director returned to the movie's runtime.

Director Sean McNamara explained his reasoning in a statement:

“One of the hardest things about directing a feature film is leaving behind incredible moments on the cutting room floor. I’m so happy to have some of my favorite scenes back in the film for audiences to experience them for the first time.”

And while some limited group showings will happen on July 4, your best chance to catch "Reagan" (again?) on the silver screen will happen in the fall nationwide:

Plans are for limited group screenings [in] more than a dozen cities on July 4, with a wide release in about 600 theaters in September.

RedState's Bob Hoge attended a premiere screening of "Reagan," and got a chance to sit down with one of the stars, actor Jon Voight.

Missing the Gipper: Reagan Foundation’s Moving Commemoration on the 20th Anniversary of His Death

By late fall of 2024, the biopic, as my colleague Ward Clark wrote, was "blowing up home sales" in the weeks after President Trump's reelection win:

The film “Reagan” has surged to the top of the home sales charts following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory on Nov. 5.
“Reagan” was listed as #2 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list overall Monday for DVD, Blu-ray and digital download sales, having been No. 1 over the weekend, the movie’s publicist said.

"Reagan" garnered worldwide box office receipts of over $30 million, all told.

My colleague Jerry Wilson also spoke to musician Phil Keaggy about how producer Mark Joseph wrangled him into being a part of the "Reagan" soundtrack.

America Still Loves Ronald Reagan - 'Reagan' Film Going Gangbusters

Wilson's interview ties in perfectly with the other cool news about the "Reagan" movie that I just heard about on Saturday. Joseph announced on his social media accounts that the movie's soundtrack was released today on, get this, CD and LP!

As an added bonus, in another Facebook post, Mark Joseph shared a vignette from the liner notes on how he managed to get a great American musician like Bob Dylan to lend his talents to the soundtrack, which has all-American tunes being covered by American artists: [paragraph breaks added]

"Music can make or break a picture. Early on, I had compiled a list of sixty artists I wanted for the film. If you were to have asked me which artists on that list would be the most difficult to land, I would have replied 'Bob Dylan and KISS.'
"I had reached out to Bob early on and at first it was merely logistics—trying to find a time when he wasn’t on the road to screen for him. But after nearly two years of going back and forth, we finally reached an impasse, and it seemed like we just couldn’t make it work.
"But we were able to get to “yes” and now the only thing left to decide was what song. Early on I had made it clear that we’d be open to any song he’d like to write, and that was the initial direction.
"Somehow over time he suggested the idea of covering a classic, “Boots & Saddles, but then Bob had another suggestion: “Don’t Fence Me In,” by Cole Porter.
"I loved that idea, as it spoke to Reagan’s life, and the fact that Bob had obviously given this some thought made it all the more appealing. I still remember where I was the first time I heard it—a special moment indeed. I will forever be grateful to Bob for giving me the song.

Enjoy!