Adam Sandler is moving online.
The film star will produce and star in four movies to be seen exclusively on Netflix, the streaming service that's made a big push into original programming — and is now making its own movies.
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Sandler's Happy Madison Productions, along with Netflix, will develop and produce the films under the new agreement, which stems from the enduring popularity of his films — including Happy Gilmore, Punch Drunk Love and Anger Management — among Netflix's 50 million worldwide subscribers.
"People love Adam's films on Netflix and often watch them again and again," says Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos 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."
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The actor, 48, stars in Jason Reitman's Men, Women and Children, opening October 17, and The Cobbler, which played at the Toronto International Film Festival and is due later this year. No details on the timing of the new Netflix projects have been revealed.
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Earlier this week, Netflix made news with plans to release a sequel to the 2000 movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on the same day it appears in theaters, but the Sandler move is far more significant, both because of its breadth and his continued appeal as a big box-office star.
Sandler jokes that when Netflix approached him with a four-movie deal, "I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only….Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks," said Sandler. "Let the streaming begin!"