Smokey and the Bandit Is Heading to Netflix in April

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Netflix has revealed everything coming to its streaming service in April, and there’s a lot of great content. The lineup even includes a movie that’s Quentin Tarantino’s absolute favorite – he enjoys it more than any other film!

I’m so excited! On April 1st, 2026, both Smokey and the Bandit and Smokey and the Bandit II are coming to Netflix. The first movie is a true classic – a lot of people consider it one of the greatest films ever made. Even Quentin Tarantino has said it’s the most entertaining movie of all time, which is high praise coming from him!

Smokey and the Bandit Is Offers a “Good Time” Watching

Quentin Tarantino recently shared on the Armchair Expert podcast that, beyond the appeal of its stars like Sally Field, he’s not quite sure what makes the movie so endearing. He described it as unexpectedly captivating, adding that whenever he watches it, he always ends up thinking, ‘That was really enjoyable! I’m almost sad it’s finished.’

Quentin Tarantino recalls seeing Smokey and the Bandit in theaters when it first came out, and he explained why he could never review it. He said that the film has a special, almost magical quality tied to the time it was released, making it uniquely enjoyable and impossible to analyze objectively.

Hal Needham directed the action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed. The film follows two bootleggers who make an illegal run transporting beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. One drives the truck, while the other uses a flashy 1977 Pontiac Trans Am to lead the police on a chase. They’re pursued by a determined Texas sheriff played by Jackie Gleason, and along the way, they pick up a runaway bride, Sally Field, who joins their adventure.

Smokey and the Bandit Was a Major Success

Made with a budget of just $4.3 million, the film Smokey and the Bandit grossed $127 million in theaters, which is about $700 million today. This huge success led to two sequels, released in 1980 and 1983, and even a brief TV series in 1994. Director Hal Needham returned to helm all four episodes of the show.

The first sequel, arriving on Netflix alongside the original in April, brought back stars Ryan Reynolds, Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Dom DeLuise. This time, the characters have to smuggle an elephant to the Republican National Convention, all while being pursued by Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Though it didn’t quite match the original’s success, the film still performed well, earning over $66 million on a $17 million budget.

Smokey and the Bandit and Smokey and the Bandit II will on Apr. 1, 2026.

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2026-04-01 01:07