Netflix announced today that comedy icons Adam Sandler and Chris Rock will reunite to star in a new Netflix original film set to begin production in Long Island, New York this summer. The Week Of will be directed by veteran Saturday Night Live writer and producer Robert Smigel. The movie covers the week of preparation for a wedding in which Sandler’s daughter is marrying Rock’s son. Happy Madison Productions’ Adam Sandler and Allen Covert will serve as producers and Barry Bernardi and Tim Herlihy will serve as executive producers. Sandler and Smigel co-wrote the script. The film will premiere globally on Netflix in 2018. Here’s what Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer, had to say in his statement.
“Adam Sandler and Chris Rock are cornerstones of the Netflix comedy family and we are over the moon about these two legends reuniting to give our members worldwide a healthy dose of the hilarity that they have been creating together for years. Similar in the romantic comedy tone of Sandler’s most recent film Sandy Wexler, this film will be the perfect vehicle for Sandler and Rock and their millions of fans around the world.”
Sandler, whose films have grossed over $3 billion, dominated box offices around the world with such films as Grown Ups, Billy Madison, Big Daddy and The Waterboy. In 2014, the multi-hyphenate actor, writer, producer and occasional singer-songwriter set his sights on conquering the streaming world and his films have found enormous success on Netflix. Sandler’s first three Netflix films, The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, and the recently launched Sandy Wexler are three of the biggest film releases ever on Netflix. This film, which marks the reunion of Rock and Sandler who last starred together in the hit comedies Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, is the fourth film in Happy Madison Productions’ original deal with Netflix. Recently, the deal was extended to include four additional feature films.
Sandler began his career as a stand-up comedian and joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and featured player before founding Happy Madison Productions. He went on to star, produce and write numerous films which went on to become box office hits. Sandler has received critical accolades for his work in Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, and Funny People. He will soon be seen in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming comedy The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) alongside Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Emma Thompson. The film will premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and will be released by Netflix later this year.
Rock is a four-time Emmy and three-time Grammy award-winning producer, writer, actor, director, best-selling author and comedian. Rock, who began his career working with Sandler in the 1990’s on Saturday Night Live, has had starring roles in films ranging from Down to Earth, Head of State, 2 Days in New York and Top Five, which he also wrote and directed. Rock has leant his voice to the hit animated film series Madagascar; produced the hit television series Everybody Hates Chris; and has won awards and acclaim for his hit comedy specials. In addition to Grown Ups, Rock also starred with Sandler in The Longest Yard. Rock and Netflix are also working together on two stand up comedy specials which Rock will star in. Additionally, Rock appeared in the Netflix’s A Very Murray Christmas special with Bill Murray. Rock is currently traveling the US on the first leg of his Total Blackout Tour 2017. This is the acclaimed comedian’s first tour in over 9 years.
Upcoming 2017 Netflix Original film releases include David Michod’s War Machine starring Brad Pitt, Meg Tilly, Tilda Swinton, Topher Grace, Lakeith Stanfield and Sir Ben Kingsley; Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja starring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Lily Collins, Steven Yeun; Jim Strouse’s The Incredible Jessica James starring Jessica Williams and Chris O’Dowd; Marti Noxon’s To The Bone starring Lily Collins; Adam Wingard’s Death Note starring Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield and Margaret Qualley; Duncan Jones’ Mute starring Alex Skarsgård, Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux; Dee Rees’ Mudbound starring Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Jason Mitchell, and Garrett Hedlund; Ritesh Batra’s Our Souls At Night starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda; Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father, based on Cambodian author and activist Loung Ung’s gripping memoir; Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) starring Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson; and David Ayer’s Bright starring Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry and Edgar Ramirez. Hopefully we’ll have more on The Week Of as we get closer to production starting.