Despite not subscribing to the usual metrics of success that a theatrically released film would be judged by, Netflix movies do pretty alright for themselves. The greatest case for the importance of Netflix films could be made by Adam Sandler fans, as his filmography has yielded more traditional hits like Hubie Halloween even in a time when he’s aimed to take bigger risks like Uncut Gems. But friend and frequent co-star David Spade understands just why making movies like The Wrong Missy is so beneficial to the longevity of a comedian’s career, as the impression made on day one rivals even that of some of his own career highlights.
As he recently spoke about his career with the L.A. Times, David Spade covered everything from the cancellation of his Comedy Central show Lights Out to the choices he’s made in the film projects. And while movies like Tommy Boy still factor fondly into his memories, it’s the impact films of that ilk have had that allowed David Spade to realize how much more prolific such a film could be if this service existed in the ‘90s. More specifically, Spade laid out his mindset thusly:
But when you think about it and you go, OK, The Wrong Missy had 59 million views in the first month. So if you say Grown Ups made $160 million and tickets are $16, what is that, 10 million people see it? Netflix movies are seeping in so deep to people in one day, instead of [doing] a movie and a press junket here and then we'd go to Europe and then it goes to HBO and then video. Tommy Boy, Joe Dirt — those movies didn't make that much, and then they seeped in through TBS or HBO.
Imagine if Tommy Boy or Joe Dirt had a Netflix to propel them the way that a movie like The Wrong Missy did in that first month of viewership? There probably would have been demand for a proper Tommy Boy sequel, and the eventual follow-up to Joe Dirt might have been a bigger deal as a Netflix title. The way that David Spade speaks about Netflix is absolutely astute, as the age of streaming has taken the cultural impact of a comedy that’d eventually become a cult classic on cable, and ramped it up into its own version of a blockbuster theatrical debut.
The Wrong Missy is a fine example of such success, with David Spade continuing to thankfully observe how big of a hit his most recent film actually was. That very fact probably helped contribute to Spade’s continued relationship with Netflix, as he landed his brand-new talk show The Netflix Afterparty not too long after getting axed from his former cable home. If you’re a Spade fanatic, you can catch that series, as well as films like The Wrong Missy or The Do-Over, as they’re all waiting for you to watch on the Netflix platform.
