Has the “Sandman” run out of steam? Many would argue that affectionately offensive goofball Adam Sandler has become a poison pill at the box-office.
But it would appear a spoonful of Netflix sugar – not to mention a multimillion-dollar deal with the streaming service – is helping the comic medicine go down very well, indeed.
The comedian – who saved Saturday Night Live from extinction during its dark days in the early 1990s – only to be fired by NBC in 1995, has a reported net worth of about US$360 million (Dh1.3 billion) and growing.
So do not shed any tears for him, because despite a string of flop movies in recent years that received scathing reviews, he is laughing – all the way to the bank – even if the critics are not.
Sandler's movies have grossed more than $3bn, with 15 of them making more than $100m. Fan faves include Punch-Drunk Love, 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy, The Waterboy and Anger Management.
Even his 2015 alien-invasion video game-themed action-comedy Pixels, reviled by critics, still made $245m globally against its $88m budget. "Not too shabby," he might say.
Admittedly, his career's extraordinary highs have been offset by appalling lows, such as Airheads and Mixed Nuts – box-office bombs that failed to earn $10m.
It is fair to say that Sandler, who turned 50 last year, is no longer the cutting-edge force in movie comedy he once was. Younger wits from the Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer generation have stepped into his clown shoes.
Sandler is definitely no longer a critics' darling, if he ever was. His two most-recent movies, The Ridiculous 6 (2015) and The Do-Over (2016), both released as part of his Netflix deal, were drubbed on Rotten Tomatoes, with 0 per cent and 5 per cent approval ratings, respectively.
But here’s the kicker – and it is a big one. Netflix does not reveal viewing figures but says the two films are the most-streamed, making Sandler its biggest star.
And those films are merely the opening salvo. He signed a four-picture deal with Netflix in 2014, and last month it was announced a further four-film deal had been agreed.
His latest Netflix effort, Sandy Wexler, will be available to stream from Friday. Sandler takes the title role of an offbeat, whiny-voiced talent manager toiling in the Los Angeles of the 1990s, who diligently represents strange clients on the fringes of show business.
The character is based on his real-life manager, Sandy Wernick, right down to his “stupid voice” and mannerisms, says Sandler.
“This guy Sandy is like my family and I love him more than anything,” he says. “And he’s a very sweet guy. He’s been with me since I was 22. It is an homage to his loyalty and love … and slight insanity.”
In the movie, Wexler’s single-minded devotion is put to the test when he falls in love with new client Courtney Clarke (Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson), a talented singer he spots at an amusement park.
“You can’t stop a shooting star,” Wexler tells her. “Our scientists have proven it. But we got to get to work.”
The Netflix original film also features some notable supporting actors and a few of Sandler's regular co-stars, including Kevin James (True Memoirs of an International Assassin), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Beastmaster), Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Nick Swardson (The Do-Over), Jane Seymour (Wedding Crashers), Grammy winner Aaron Neville and talk-show host Arsenio Hall.
The decision by Netflix to double down on Sandler is a win-win for both sides – the deal saves on costly distribution, bypasses the box-office and, to some extent the effects of snarky critics, delivering Sandler’s comedies directly to his fan core and target audiences.
Artistically, Sandler is given total freedom to do whatever he wants. A sweetheart pact not only pays upfront salaries for him and his team at his Happy Madison productions, but also buys out the projected back-end of what his films might have earned, had they been released in theatres.
“Love working with Netflix and collaborating with them,” says Sandler.
“I love how passionate they are about making movies and getting them out there for the whole world to see. They’ve made me feel like family – and I can’t thank them enough for their support.”
• Sandy Wexler will be available on Netflix from Friday (April 14)
artslife@thenational.ae