Adam Sandler and Chris Rock have been collaborators for years, starting with their time on Saturday Night Live, but their work together has generally been as part of a larger ensemble. That will change with Sandler's next film for Netflix, as he will star with Rock in The Week Of - a comedy that will see them squaring off as warring fathers.
Netflix officially announced the project via press release this afternoon. Set to be directed by the great Robert Smigel - who co-wrote the movie with Sandler - The Week Of is a wedding comedy that will see the daughter of Adam Sandler's character marrying the son of Chris Rock's. The plan is for the film to premiere next year, which means production could start up any time in the next few months. The new collaboration between the streaming service and Sandler is the first to be announced since the extension of the actor/producer's contract late last month (it's presumably one of four more set to come out in the next few years).
Including the titles where either one or both of actors only play bit parts, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock have seven shared feature credits on their resume. Chronologically, the first is the 2003 movie Pauly Shore Is Dead, but better known titles include the remake of The Longest Yard, You Don't Mess With The Zohan, and the Grown Ups films. Sandler had a part playing himself in Rock's most recent directorial effort, 2014's Top Five, but most recently they made Sandy Wexler together - the Netflix release that actually just came out.
The premise of The Week Of isn't tremendously exciting, just because we've seen versions of this comedic setup hundreds of times - but what does make the film particularly intriguing is Robert Smigel's hand in the production. The movie will be his directorial debut, but he has a long, long resume of hilarity - including years as a writer on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. It's hard to say at this stage particularly what he'll do with the new position (and Adam Sandler's recent work has us very concerned about his involvement), but it certainly gives us inclination to keep a closer eye on the development of the movie.
Netflix doesn't typically announce release dates until right before launching material on the streaming service, but we do know that The Week Of will be out one of the 52 weeks in 2018. Stay tuned for more updates, particularly as the film works to build up its cast (which, knowing this creative team, will be filled with a lot of familiar faces who have been working as part of the Adam Sandler family for years).
