It’s happening, officially. Adam Sandler and his crew are coming back for a third film, more than a decade after Grown Ups 2 hit theaters. Netflix has picked up the comedy franchise for another round of fun and Grown Ups 3 is in the works.
Sandler announced the start of shooting with a behind-the-scenes photo posted on Instagram showing many of his longtime co-stars seated around a restaurant table. He was joined by Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek Pinault, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello and a host of familiar faces from the previous movies. Sandler captioned the photo with a simple ‘We missed you!’ Some time later, Netflix also posted the same image, thus confirming that production has begun.
A New Adventure With Familiar Faces
Most of the cast returning for the third film will be familiar to fans of the first two films. Sandler, Rock, James, Spade, Schneider, Hayek Pinault, Rudolph and Bello are all back, as are a host of Happy Madison regulars like Jackie Sandler, Shaquille O’Neal, Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri, Ellen Cleghorne and Nick Swardson.
The sequel is also bringing in a few new characters. The cast includes Julie Bowen, Deon Cole and Bailee Madison, as well as a younger group of actors: Jake Goldberg, Alexys Nycole Sanchez, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Ada-Nicole Sanger, Morgan Gingerich, Kaleo Elam, Nadji Jeter, David Mattle and Kamil McFadden. The cast is a mix of Sandler’s regulars and some up-and-comers, as has been the case with previous films.
The story continues after the children have grown up.
The official synopsis gives a hint of where the movie is going, yet Netflix is keeping most of the story details under wraps. The longtime friends have finally got the chance to have their own adventure, with their children all grown up and having their own lives. It’s a natural progression for the characters we first met in 2010, and it allows the sequel to explore a different phase of their lives, while maintaining the same group dynamic that made the originals so successful.
It’s being directed by Kyle Newacheck and is based on a script by Sandler and his longtime writing partner Tim Herlihy. Most recently, they teamed up for the hit Netflix comedy, Happy Gilmore 2. The project is being produced by Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Jack Giarraputo and Herlihy, with Sony Pictures once again teaming up after the first two films were released in theaters.
A New Home for the Franchise
Netflix has yet to announce a release date, but filming is currently taking place in New Jersey. The first Grown Ups grossed around $272 million worldwide in 2010, and its sequel came three years later with another respectable theatrical run. Sandler has since become one of Netflix’s biggest stars thanks to his extensive work with the streaming service, making it a natural place for the franchise’s return.
Whether Grown Ups 3 will be as successful as the first two movies remains to be seen, but bringing back nearly the entire original cast is a good start. The formula seems to be much the same, though the characters may be older and their children may be grown up. Fans can expect more of the same – some funny stories, some ridiculous situations and the natural chemistry that has kept this team together for years.
Source: What’s on Netflix