Adam Sandler Inks Exclusive Four-Film Deal With Netflix
“I tried to sign up for Netflix but this happened instead…,” Adam Sandler tweeted on October 1st, directing his million-plus followers to an announcement about the biggest production deal Netflix has made to date. Weeks after the streaming service landed the new sitcom by Funny People director Judd Apatow, that film’s star Sandler has inked an agreement with Netflix that will bring four new feature films exclusively to its customers. Sandler will star in each of the films, which will be co-produced by the comic actor’s Happy Madison Productions and Netflix.
“When these fine people came to me with an offer to make four movies for them, I immediately said ‘yes’ for one reason and one reason only… Netflix rhymes with ‘wet chicks,'” Sandler said in a statement. “Let the streaming begin!” Sandler also revealed the deal on Instagram by posting a photo of him wearing an old lady’s glasses and a Starter windbreaker.
The Sandler deal is Netflix’s biggest cinematic acquisition to date, and would firmly position the company among the Hollywood studios and TV production companies. Sandler‘s films usually average $100 million upon release, according to Box Office Mojo. Overall, after two decades spanning from 1994’s Airheads to 2014’s Blended, Sandler’s films have grossed over $3 billion each in both the domestic and overseas markets. “People love Adam’s films on Netflix and often watch them again and again. 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,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement.
The Happy Madison/Netflix productions could start arriving as soon as 2015 since Sandler’s schedule appears clear after the action-comedy Pixels, which is filming now but won’t be a part of the Netflix deal. Sandler will next be seen in a more serious role in director Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children.