Especially in recent years, it’s become clear that Netflix is good at attracting top talent (these include the likes of Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, and more recently, Dwayne Johnson). Not to mention, the streaming giant is known for closing big business deals with them too, whether its film or tv series.
Long before it negotiated with these A-listers, however, Netflix had already stuck multiple deals with Hollywood star Adam Sandler. And today, their partnership appears to remain strong.
They Struck A Deal With Adam Sandler Around The Time They Were Introducing Original Content
In the beginning, Netflix banked on several syndicated properties to grow its subscription base. Hence, for a period of time, subscribers could readily stream the likes of Friends, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. Eventually, however, the streaming service started introducing original content. And when it came to original movies, it decided to strike a deal with Sandler and his Sandlerverse.
Back in 2014, Netflix announced that it struck a deal with Sandler and his company, Happy Madison Productions, to develop four films for streaming. For Netflix, the deal made a lot of sense since Sandler has a huge global following. “People love Adam’s films on Netflix and often watch them again and again,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. “His appeal spans across viewers of all ages -- everybody has a favorite movie, everyone has a favorite line -- not just in the US but all over the world.” Meanwhile, Sandler also issued a brief statement regarding the new partnership, jokingly remarking, “I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only. Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks. Let the streaming begin!!!!” Sandler’s first Netflix films include The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, Sandy Wexler, and The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected).
Netflix Has Continued To Extend Their Deal With Adam Sandler Over The Years
Just a few years later in 2017, Netflix announced that it had already decided to extend its partnership with Sandler. In a press statement, Sarandos revealed that “his movies have proven to be extremely successful with our subscribers around the world.” The company also revealed that Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6 and The Do-Over scored the biggest releases for Netflix. Sarandos added, “We are thrilled at the opportunity to extend our partnership with Adam and his entire team at Happy Madison and keep the world laughing.”
The new deal meant that Netflix was going to finance four more original films from the comedian and Sandler couldn’t be more thrilled. “Love working with Netflix and collaborating with them. I love how passionate they are about making movies and getting them out there for the whole world to see,” the actor said. “They’ve made me feel like family and I can’t thank them enough for their support.” The extended included the release of Murder Mystery, which saw Sandler work with longtime friend Jennifer Aniston.
Just two years later, Netflix also announced that Sandler was coming out with a Halloween film for the service. That turned out to be Hubie Halloween, which assembled an impressive cast that includes Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Julie Bowen, Kevin James, and Kenan Thompson. Soon after, the streaming giant confirmed that it was extending its deal with Sandler. “They love his stories and his humor, as we saw with Murder Mystery,” Sarandos said. “So I could not be more excited to extend our partnership with Adam and the Happy Madison team and deliver more laughs around the world.” The extended deal in 2020 include the production of four more films for Netflix.
They May Be Longtime Partners But Netflix Can Still Say No To Adam Sandler
One of the newest films that Sandler’s been working on for Netflix is the comedy-drama Hustle. And while it seems that Netflix generally leaves creative decisions to Sandler, the streaming giant apparently put its foot down when it came to this one. In the film, Sandler plays a struggling basketball scout who tries to revive his career by recruiting a player overseas. Originally, Sandler’s character was going to recruit a player in China until Netflix overruled him.
“It was written originally that I find a player in China and somehow, Netflix is not in China,” Sandler revealed while on The Dan Patrick Show, “So they were like, 'Would you guys please make it so we find someone in Latin America or Europe?'” In the end, they rewrote the script so that Sandler’s character would end up flying to Spain where he will encounter Memphis Grizzlies player Juancho Hernangómez. “So the next thing you know I’m in Majorca.” While shooting the film, Sandler realized that moving to Spain was a good call, after all. It turns out that Hernangómez was quite the actor. “He acts better than me in every scene,” Sandler said of his latest co-star. Every joke he says, I'm like, 'He said it smoother than I would have.'”
Recently, Netflix also announced that it is releasing a sequel to Sandler’s Murder Mystery. Fans would also be delighted to know that Aniston is confirmed to return for the second installment.
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