Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

Mark Joseph Says Reagan Gave Up Son's Arizona Football Scholarship as $26 Million Biopic Gets Documentary

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

Mark Joseph Says Reagan Gave Up Son's Arizona Football Scholarship as $26 Million Biopic Gets Documentary

Q: Why is the Reagan biopic being re-released with new footage two years after its original debut?

The *Reagan* biopic is being re-released to mark America’s 250th anniversary and to present an expanded version with footage that was left out of the 2024 release. Producer Mark Joseph and director Sean McNamara have said the new edition adds about 10 minutes of material, including more scenes between Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the Oval Office, moments involving Reagan’s father Jack, and footage at the Reagans’ ranch near Santa Barbara. The aim is to give audiences a fuller portrait of Reagan’s personal life and relationships. The re-release also restores a line that had been removed from the original version: Reagan’s use of “Make America Great Again,” which was one of his historical campaign phrases. McNamara said it was cut in 2024 to avoid the film being interpreted as election-related during a tense campaign season, but the filmmakers decided to include it in the anniversary edition because of its historical relevance. The renewed theatrical run follows the film’s strong audience response and is tied to the rollout of Joseph’s documentary *Making Reagan*, which highlights the research behind the movie and the challenges of making it, including COVID-era production shutdowns. The special edition is scheduled for a limited July 4 weekend rollout in select cities, followed by a wider release in hundreds of theaters later in 2026.

Q: How did secret KGB and FBI files challenge the public's long-held perceptions of President Ronald Reagan?

The files complicated the familiar public image of Ronald Reagan as either a simple Cold War hawk or a caricatured right-wing ideologue by showing a more layered figure. According to producer Mark Joseph’s research for *Reagan* and *Making Reagan*, KGB assessments described Reagan as a “conservative hardliner,” but also as vain and deeply religious. That suggests Soviet analysts did not see him as merely a slogan-driven politician; they viewed him as disciplined, image-conscious and serious enough to study closely as an ideological opponent. The FBI material added a different kind of contrast. Interviews with neighbors and others sometimes labeled Reagan a “crazy, insane right-winger,” reflecting how sharply some critics viewed him. Yet those same files repeatedly described him as “a very nice guy.” That undercut the harsher public stereotype by showing that even people who disagreed with him often acknowledged his personal warmth and decency. Taken together, the secret files reinforced Reagan’s toughness while challenging one-dimensional portrayals of him. They suggested he was both a firm conservative and a personally generous, courteous and more complicated man than either admirers or detractors often presented.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

Mike Reagan lost a college football scholarship in Arizona after Ronald Reagan called the school and said his son did not need the aid, producer Mark Joseph said.
Joseph said Reagan wanted the scholarship slot to go to someone with fewer advantages, describing that instinct as part of a generosity that sometimes created problems for people close to him.
He said the same trait extended to constituents: Reagan would sometimes send personal checks to people who wrote that his policies had hurt them, even following up if they did not cash them.
Joseph shared the anecdote while promoting “Making Reagan,” a Fox Nation documentary on the 2024 film “Reagan,” which earned $26 million domestically and includes behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.

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Fox News8h ago

Producer Mark Joseph Reveals Ronald Reagan Took Son's College Football Scholarship

What causes the massive divide between critic and audience scores for historical biopics like the Reagan movie?

Why is the Reagan biopic being re-released with new footage two years after its original debut?

How did secret KGB and FBI files challenge the public's long-held perceptions of President Ronald Reagan?

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1 total

Right100%

Fox News8h ago

Producer Mark Joseph Reveals Ronald Reagan Took Son's College Football Scholarship

Mark Joseph Says Reagan Gave Up Son's Arizona Football Scholarship as $26 Million Biopic Gets Documentary

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