Back in 1986, director Peter Markle brought us a hockey sports drama called Youngblood, which had a cool cast that included Rob Lowe, Ed Lauter, Cynthia Gibb, Patrick Swayze, and Keanu Reeves. Just in time for that film’s fortieth anniversary, Aircraft Pictures and Dolphin Entertainment have teamed up for a remake directed by Hubert Davis (The Well, Black Ice). Well Go USA Entertainment recently picked up the U.S. distribution rights to the film, and they’re planning to bring it to theatres the same day Photon Films and Media will be giving it a theatrical release in Canada: March 6th. When this Youngblood arrives, we’ll be getting a softer, nicer version of the story than what was presented in the original film, as the Motion Picture Association ratings board has given the remake a PG-13 rating.
From R to PG-13
IMDb reminds us that the original Youngblood earned its R rating for a variety of reasons: there’s a “fairly intense sexual scene … where bare breasts, genitals and buttocks are seen” and several uses of harsh language, including twenty F-bombs. Don’t expect to see bare breasts or to hear multiple F-bombs in the remake, because it’s rated PG-13 for some strong language, violence, suggestive material and teen drinking.
Story and Cast
Markle wrote the original film with John Whitman. Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron, and filmmaker / professional hockey player Charles Officer crafted the screenplay for the remake. Officer was expected to direct the film as well, but he passed away on December 1, 2023, at the age of 48. The story centers on hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who travels from Detroit to Canada to join the Hamilton Mustangs in pursuit of his professional hockey dreams. Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies. As he confronts toxic behavior both on the ice and within himself, Dean is forced to decide what kind of man and player he wants to become.
The new film’s cast includes Ashton James (Boxcutter) as Dean Youngblood, Blair Underwood (Longlegs) as his father Blane Youngblood, Shawn Doyle (Big Love) as Coach Chadwick, Alexandra McDonald (Night Blooms) as Jessie Chadwick, Henri Picard (The Dishwasher) as Denis Sutton, Donald MacLean Jr. (Workin’ Moms) as Carl Racki, Olunike Adeliyi (The Expanse) as Ruby Youngblood, Emidio Lopes (Painkiller) as Kelly Youngblood, and Tamara Podemski (Reservation Dogs) as Ms. McGill. Rounding out the rest of the Hamilton Mustangs hockey team are Jonathan Valvano, Ty Neckar, Dylan Hawco, and Alexei Morita.
Aircraft Pictures’ Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen produced the film with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, Ontario Creates, and the Shaw Rocket Fund. Dolphin Entertainment’s Bill O’Dowd and Emerson Davis serve as executive producers, alongside Allan Fung and Photon Films and Media’s Mark Slone and Zanne Devine.
The Youngblood remake premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, then Variety reported that additional photography was taking place at the Crypto.com area, home of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, in October. Now, we’re just a few months away from the theatrical release.
Are you interested in the Youngblood remake? What do you think of the movie getting a PG-13 rating? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
