Adam Sandler’s movies are critically drubbed and lately have been box office duds, so why on earth would Netflix want to work with him?
The much-ballyhooed deal Netflix made with Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions to produce four films exclusively for the screaming company came in the wake of Netflix’s deal with The Weinstein Company to post Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 the same day it hits IMAX theaters. That was met with expected resistance from theater chains, but it appears to be a huge win for Netflix. After all, it was all anyone was talking about for days.
Now, Netflix gets to keep the “straight-to-streaming” conversation going by scoring one of the biggest brands on the planet. Because, let’s face it, Sandler is no longer an “actor.” He’s a “brand.” We all know what we get when we buy a ticket to see a Sandler movie and audiences still are.
At least, overseas audiences are. Now, collectively go “Ah ha!” That’s the key. This is a huge deal for Netflix internationally. The company is trying to further expand into more foreign territories. Having Sandler on board for four movies only available on Netflix all around the world will be a major selling point.
The movie business has become increasingly international and Sandler’s visual comedy lands laughs everywhere. For example, last year’s Grown Ups 2 made nearly as much overseas as it did at home, grossing $113 million in foreign territories. Even this year’s flop with Drew Barrymore, Blended, was an overseas hit, making $80.5 million. That’s $34 million more than its earnings domestically.
Netflix was also likely looking for a property that could appeal to families. Since Sandler’s comedies are now geared towards the widest possible audiences, even families can enjoy them together.
The company also likes how replayable his movies are. “They’re so repeatable,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told The Wall Street Journal. “What we’ve seen is the more international we have become, the data has reinforced the incredible global strength of Adam.”
Sarandos also said that they know Sandler is one of the most-watched actors on Netflix internationally.
It's still not clear when the first Sandler movie will show up, but Netflix is expecting one each year.
Clearly, with the Crouching Tiger and Sandler deals, Netflix is trying to diversify with bigger and bigger Hollywood players involved on the movie side. When you already have a few Emmy-winning shows exclusive to your service, you might as well go bigger.