Dennis Quaid’s ‘Reagan’ Biopic Re-Released with Iconic Speech Clip

The re-release of the ‘Reagan’ movie features a notable addition – a line from President Ronald Reagan that was omitted from the original version. In a key scene, where Dennis Quaid portrays Reagan, he addresses the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

‘You and your forebearers helped build this nation,’ he says. ‘Now help us rebuild it. And together, we will make America great again.’

This line, used in Reagan’s 1980 campaign, was the original source of a slogan later adopted by Donald Trump. Director Sean McNamara explained the decision to exclude the line during the original release due to potential political ramifications during the election year.

‘In the midst of a divisive election season when we released the movie, we made the decision to leave out a moment that might have been mistaken for electioneering,’ McNamara shared. ‘But in this special year of celebration, we are putting back in the phrase which has been uttered by presidents of both parties.’ The re-release includes 10 minutes of additional footage and will be available in theaters nationwide on September 25 in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.

Plans include limited screenings on July 4 in various cities, followed by a broader release in September across 600 theaters. These added scenes depict moments between Reagan and his wife Nancy, a scene with his father Jack, and interactions at their California ranch, Rancho del Cielo.

Coinciding with the film’s re-release, Fox Nation is streaming ‘Making Reagan.’ This documentary provides an inside look at the production, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with cast members like Elya Baskin and Kevin Dillon, and highlights from the set. Despite receiving generally poor reviews in 2024, the film achieved a high audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.