Youngblood Returns: Hockey Classic Remake Skates Into North America This March
Lace up—Youngblood returns with a hard-checking remake crashing into North American theaters this March, timed to the original’s 40th anniversary.
Youngblood is skating back onto the ice. The 1986 hockey drama is getting a full-on remake timed to the original movie's 40th birthday, and yes, it has a real release date and real distribution. If you grew up with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze throwing hands on the rink, this new version aims to hit the same nerve while updating the off-ice stuff that has not aged great.
Release plan (and who is releasing it)
Well Go USA Entertainment grabbed U.S. rights and will put the remake in theaters the same day Photon Films and Media opens it across Canada: March 6. So, a proper North American rollout, no lag between countries.
Who is making it
Aircraft Pictures and Dolphin Entertainment teamed up on the new film, with Hubert Davis (The Well, Black Ice) directing. The screenplay comes from Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron, and filmmaker/pro hockey player Charles Officer. Officer had been expected to direct too, but he passed away on December 1, 2023, at 48. The original Youngblood was written by Peter Markle and John Whitman, with Markle directing back in 1986.
What the story is now
Same core setup: Detroit phenom Dean Youngblood heads to Canada to chase the pro dream with the Hamilton Mustangs. His dad raised him on toughness and discipline, Dean shows up with scary-good skills and a chip on his shoulder, and that combo rubs everyone the wrong way. The movie follows him as he collides with the uglier side of hockey culture and figures out what kind of player — and person — he wants to be.
The new roster
- Ashton James (Boxcutter) as Dean Youngblood
- Blair Underwood (Longlegs) as Blane Youngblood (Dean's father)
- 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
- Tamara Podemski (Reservation Dogs) as Ms. McGill
- And rounding out the Mustangs: Jonathan Valvano, Ty Neckar, Dylan Hawco, and Alexei Morita
Production and the money behind it
Aircraft Pictures' Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen produced the film with financial participation from Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, Ontario Creates, and the Shaw Rocket Fund. Executive producers include Dolphin Entertainment's Bill O'Dowd and Emerson Davis, along with Allan Fung, plus Photon Films and Media's Mark Slone and Zanne Devine. If you like seeing the full funding alphabet soup, this one has plenty.
Distribution talk
Well Go USA's president and CEO Doris Pfardrescher says the movie is aiming beyond a standard sports arc — think big on-ice energy matched with character-focused emotion. Dolphin's Bill O'Dowd points out the timing is designed to dovetail with the original film's 40th anniversary and the Winter Olympics, noting that men's hockey frequently pulls massive U.S. audiences, reportedly up to 30 million viewers per game. Translation: they are trying to catch the hockey wave when it is at its highest.
Premiere, extra filming, and a real NHL cameo
The remake premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, then the team went back for additional photography in October at Crypto.com Arena — home of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. The Kings actually appear in the film, and their president, Luc Robitaille, made it clear why that matters to him:
'Youngblood was more than just a film to me and my friends growing up, it was an obsession. It is a film that continues to come up in conversations with hockey players and fans decades later. This new version updates the film in exciting ways for today's audiences. We are thrilled for our organization to be featured on-screen, and the opportunity to share our passion for the sport.'
Bottom line
Youngblood coming back makes sense: the bones of the story work, hockey is built for the big screen, and the release is lined up to ride a real-world sports moment. If the on-ice stuff pops and the off-ice themes feel current, this could score. We find out March 6.