FILE PHOTO: Adam Sandler arrives for the National Board of Review Awards in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
(Reuters) – Actor and comedian Adam Sandler has reached a deal with Netflix Inc to make four new movies for the global streaming service, the company said on Friday.
Sandler, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member who built a career on movies such as “Grownups” and “The Water Boy,” has become one of the biggest draws on Netflix, according to the company.
Sandler’s “Murder Mystery,” co-starring Jennifer Aniston, was ranked the streaming service’s most popular title in the United States in 2019. It is one of six movies and a comedy special he has made for Netflix with his company, Happy Madison Productions, since 2015.
His upcoming projects for Netflix include “Hubie Halloween” co-starring Kevin James and Julie Bowen and an animated feature film that Sandler will write and star in as a voice actor.
Netflix is counting on original movies such as Sandler’s to help it compete with new rivals, particularly Walt Disney Co, which has been removing its films from Netflix and taking them to its own Disney+ streaming service.
Reporting by Neha Malara in Bengaluru and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Dan Grebler