While one can argue that Netflix’s rise has been detrimental to cinema as a whole, the actor who has greatly benefited from shifting to the streaming giant is Adam Sandler. Since his breakthrough back in the ’90s thanks to his stint in SNL, Sandler has gone on to become one of the biggest comedic icons of this generation but has had a rough time among critics.
Even though Sandler is not new to critically acclaimed features, especially his works in recent years, for the majority of his career, the Happy Gilmore Star’s releases have struggled to earn critics’ approval. But despite having a rough going critically, the execs at Netflix were assured bringing him in would greatly benefit the platform, and they couldn’t have been more right.
Adam Sandler Continues to Be an Asset for Netflix
Even though on paper, signing an actor who had a plethora of critically panned features under his belt might seem like a questionable decision on paper, it couldn’t have paid off better for Netflix. Although the Billy Madison Star has had a bunch of acclaimed hits since joining forces with Netflix, prior to this partnership, critically acclaimed features in his filmography were few and far between.
However, Netflix’s then-chief content officer Ted Sarandos, who currently serves as its co-chief executive officer, explained that the streaming platform wasn’t concerned with the critics. Sarandos expressed that Netflix’s move to sign Sandler had to do with their plan to garner international traction, and it’s safe to say their decision paid off.
“He is one of the most bankable, dependable stars on Netflix around the world. He’s hugely popular and just emerging in Latin America … We are looking at him as if he is a global superstar.”
And since signing their first major A-lister back in 2014, Netflix seems to can’t get enough of the actor, as back in 2020, the company renewed its contract with Sandler for a reported $250M.
Adam Sandler Wants to Do More Dramatic Projects After Recent Netflix Sci-Fi Drama
While the actor has been indifferent to critics throughout his career and has always preferred having fun with his movies, he did express his want to delve into more dramatic projects moving forward. With Adam Sandler finally letting his dramatic chops shine in recent years, following his experience in the recent sci-fi drama Spaceman, Sandler expressed he is down for more great dramas.
He said (via Deadline):
“Yes. I loved doing the Spaceman. It was an amazing process. I just love the movie. I love watching it. It’s beautiful. It sounds amazing. So if another great movie comes around… maybe Johan [Renck, the film’s director] will invite us all to do another good one.”
Although having him star in slapstick comedies is always a delight, fans won’t mind seeing his dramatic chops more often.
