Netflix Takes on Hollywood With…Adam Sandler? Will It Work?
Netflix has already changed the way we watch movies at home (remember Blockbuster?) and the way we watch television and now the streaming service is trying to change the way movies are made and seen…with Adam Sandler.
Earlier this week, the company announced it would get into the original movie business by partnering with The Weinstein Co. on a sequel of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” And last night, the company announced its latest strategy to bust theatrical windows: Adam Sandler.
Netflix has signed a deal to be the “exclusive home” of four feature films starring and produced by Sandler, who the company said in its announcement is “a unique and prolific comic voice.”
He’s certainly a recognizable name, but last year Forbes magazine dubbed Sandler, whose movies have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, “the most overpaid actor.”
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“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’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos in a statement.
Sandler offered this embarrassing statement: “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. Let the streaming begin!!!!”
Sandler’s next two films, “Men, Women & Children” and “The Cobbler” premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival to disappointing reviews. But he is still a recognizable name internationally and according to Netflix, Sandler 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.
Under the deal, which excludes projects that are part of the production company’s current studio film commitments, the Sandler projects will become available exclusively to Netflix subscribers in the 50 countries in which it operates.
In announcing the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” project, Netflix said it was the first of several films backed by Netflix which would premiere on the same day on the streaming service and in select IMAX theaters globally, so we’re guessing this Adam Sandler deal is the first of many.
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