You know how to make sure a press release gets my attention? Kick it off with a good old, “O’Doyle rules!” It was just revealed that Adam Sandler made a deal to make four movies exclusively for Netflix and the press release began with, “O’Doyle rules! Adam Sandler heads to Netflix.” There’s no word on what any of those films will be just yet, but perhaps that headline could hint at something Billy Madison-related.
But of course that’s total conjecture at this point because all we know is that Happy Madison Productions will work with Netflix to develop the four films and Sandler will produce and star in all of them. Hit the jump for more on the Adam Sandler/Netflix partnership.
As someone who grew up watching Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore more than I care to admit, his recent painfully unfunny commercial garbage is breaking my heart. It isn’t easy building hope for Adam Sandler projects anymore, but perhaps a new platform could be the solution.
Recent releases like Blended and That’s My Boy didn’t do particularly well, but Grown Ups 2 made nearly $250 million worldwide and Hotel Transylvania was a box office winner as well. Odds are, Netflix made this arrangement in hopes that it’ll benefit from Sandler’s loyal fan base and icon status, but perhaps coming out from under the studio umbrella and not having to deal with the pressure to kill it at the box office will inspire Sandler to leave these cheap, thoughtless and lazy comedies behind and jump back into what he’s good at – immature, raunchy and bizarre comedies that are still wildly charming and loaded with unforgettable humor.
Here’s the official press release if you’d like to check it out:
For Immediate Release
O’DOYLE RULES! ADAM SANDLER HEADS TO NETFLIX GLOBALLY RENOWNED MOVIE STAR AND COMEDIAN TO MAKE FOUR MOVIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE MORE THAN 50 MILLION NETFLIX MEMBERS Beverly Hills, Calif. October 1, 2014--Netflix, the world’s leading Internet TV network, will be the exclusive home of four feature films starring and produced by comic icon Adam Sandler, whose movies have delighted hundreds of millions of fans all over the world. Sandler is a unique and prolific comic voice, whose films have grossed more than $3 billion globally at the box office and made him one of the world’s top movie stars. He is among the few actors in the world whose films consistently rank among the most viewed by Netflix members in the U.S. and across its global territories from Brazil to the U.K. “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,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “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,” said Sandler. “Let the streaming begin!!!!” Under the deal announced today, Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions will work alongside Netflix to develop the four films and to premiere them exclusively to members in the nearly 50 countries where Netflix operates. Current studio film commitments are not included in this deal. Sandler began his career as a stand-up comedian and joinedSaturday Night Live as a writer and featured player before starring in, producing and writing numerous films, including the box office smashes The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, The Longest Yard, Big Daddy, Anger Management, 50 First Dates, Click, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. Sandler has received critical accolades for his work in Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, Funny People, and two upcoming films, Men, Women & Children and The Cobbler, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival.
