Adam Sandler Reported Says Netflix Asked Him to Change the Location of His New Movie
Some people roll their eyes at Adam Sandler movies. The comedy genius has basically built his own empire with Happy Madison Productions. Most of his comedies are silly, slapstick, and often gross. He casts a lot of the same stars over and over again. It’s clear he and his friends have fun on set. It translates to his films, even if his comedy style isn’t for everyone. But Sandler is more than comedy. He’s proven time and time again that he has range, both as a writer and an actor.
That’s probably why Netflix wanted to snap him up. The Mr. Deeds actor has been making movies for the streaming giant for a while now, and there’s a new one coming soon. According to ScreenRant, Netflix actually asked Sandler to make some changes to an upcoming project.
‘Hustle’ is Adam Sandler’s most recent Netflix project
Sandler and Netflix are the perfect pairing. It seems like the streaming platform basically lets Sandler run wild, and make the movies he wants to make. The result has been a ton of fan favorites, instant classics, and even a few awards. When Sandler signed the deal in 2014, streaming was still finding its footing. Now, his movies are getting the same reception they would in theaters. Sandler has since extended his deal with Netflix, and soon we’ll have Hustle to show for it.
The movie will apparently be a sports comedy, which isn’t outside of Sandler’s wheelhouse. Hustle will follow a basketball agent who is recruiting abroad. Uncut Gems saw Sandler get basketball adjacent, and even starred some NBA big wigs. Hustle will also feature an NBA player, Spanish-born Juancho Hernangómez. The movie will take place and be filmed in Spain. That wasn’t Sandler’s original plan.
Netflix asked Adam Sandler to change the location of ‘Hustle’
Sandler intended for his character in Hustle to travel to China. There, the failing sports agent would recruit Chinese basketball players. But Netflix doesn’t have a presence in China, and so they asked Sandler to change the location of the movie. Even though Netflix is in other Asian countries, the streaming service apparently requested Sandler film in Latin America or Europe instead. Apparently they thought those countries would benefit them more, marketing wise.
Most big studios are currently courting China hardcore. The People’s Republic of China has a massive population, and is a huge market for movies. Netflix is going the other way. When the government of China made negotiations with Netflix difficult, the company walked away.
For his part, Sandler seemed more than willing to change the location of the movie to Spain. The film probably won’t suffer for the change in location either. It will still feature some big name stars, including Queen Latifah and Robert Duvall. LeBron James’ is involved at a production level.
Adam Sandler has a great track record with Netflix
If Hustle follows the trend, it will be a huge hit on Netflix. For whatever reason, Netflix customers absolutely love Sandler films, and he’s done some of his best work on the platform. Fans are already talking about Murder Mystery 2, the sequel to Sandler’s off-beat whodunit. Jennifer Aniston is coming back to reprise her role, and she and Sandler are usually unstoppable together.
Sandler movies have been streamed for at least two billion hours on Netflix, which is pretty impressive. Although industry execs often look to box office dollars as a benchmark for a movie’s success, streaming services don’t have that metric. Maybe the lack of pressure on opening weekend figures have left Sandler free to make great movies that fans love to watch.
