Adam Sandler is leaving the box office behind for a while. The longtime comedian signed a deal with Netflix to produce and perhaps star in four movies that will debut exclusively on the movie-streaming service.
Sandler’s own movie making company Happy Madison Productions will produce the four films, which will be financed by Netflix. The movies will bypass theaters and premiere online in almost 50 countries where Netflix is available. The names of the movies and their release dates are currently unknown.
Related: Netflix announces sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Netflix is banking on the popularity of Sandler’s movies on its service to attract new subscribers with the exclusive content. Its competitors Hulu, Amazon, and others are producing original content of their own in an effort to conquer people’s living rooms.
“People love Adam’s films on Netflix and often watch them again and again,”Netflix content chief 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 U.S. but all over the world.”
Sandler seemed just as excited as Netflix about the deal. “I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only….Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks,” Sandler joked. “Let the streaming begin!”
Even though Sandler will present four new movies on Netflix, he hasn’t abandoned the big screen altogether. He will star in Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children, which opens on October 17, and in The Cobbler, which appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival and will arrive later this year.
For its own part, Netflix has a number of projects in the pipeline, including Chelsea Peretti, Bill Burr, and Bill Cosby comedy specials as well as a series about Marvel comic book heroes Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. Netflix also recently announced that the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will premiere on its service at the same time that it arrives in theaters. This move generated controversy, as several big-name movie theaters decided that they will no longer screen the movie next year if it’s on Netflix at the same time.
Photo via Sandler’s official Facebook page
