Smokey and the Bandit Leaves Netflix: Fans Must Find Burt Reynolds Classic Elsewhere
Smokey and the Bandit Leaves Netflix: Fans Must Find Burt Reynolds Classic Elsewhere
Rachel SchneiderSat, August 1, 2026 at 5:45 AM UTC
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Netflix subscribers have one less Burt Reynolds classic to revisit.
As of Aug. 1, Smokey and the Bandit is no longer streaming on Netflix after quietly leaving the platform on July 31. The 1980 follow-up, Smokey and the Bandit II, also departed as part of Netflix's latest content rotation.
One of Burt Reynolds' Most Beloved Movies
Nearly 50 years after its release, Smokey and the Bandit remains one of the films most closely associated with Reynolds' career.
The 1977 action-comedy holds a 71% critics score and an impressive 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Reynolds' highest-rated movies among fans.
Directed by legendary stuntman Hal Needham, the film stars Reynolds as legendary truck driver Bo "Bandit" Darville, who accepts a high-stakes challenge to transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia in just 28 hours.
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Along the way, he picks up runaway bride Carrie, played by Sally Field, setting off a cross-country chase with some of the most memorable one-liners in movie history, led by the unforgettable Sheriff Buford T. Justice, portrayed by Jackie Gleason.
Released in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit became one of the year's biggest box office successes and helped cement Reynolds as one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
The movie's mix of high-speed car chases, practical stunts, Southern humor, and the now-iconic black Pontiac Trans Am made it an enduring fan favorite that continues to attract new audiences decades later.
Its success also spawned two theatrical sequels, with Smokey and the Bandit II reuniting Reynolds, Field, Gleason, and Needham for another cross-country adventure in 1980.
While streaming libraries are constantly changing, the departure means fans hoping to revisit one of Burt Reynolds' most beloved performances will now have to look beyond Netflix to ride along with the Bandit once again.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
