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Sandler, James, Rock, Schneider, and Spade Together At Last

by Alex Billington
February 11, 2009

Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, David Spade

Columbia Pictures has hit the jackpot! Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade are negations to star in an untitled comedy to be directed by Happy Gilmore and You Don't Mess With the Zohan helmer Dennis Dugan. Sandler's Happy Madison is developing and is planning to shoot over the upcoming summer. Taking a cue from some of Judd Apatow's comedies that take place over one day of time, the story, written by Sandler and Strange Wilderness writer Fred Wolf, is about five best friends from high school who reunite 30 years later on a Fourth of July weekend. Hilarity ensues.

As exciting as this is at first glance, let's not forget that Kevin James and Adam Sandler already teamed up once to bring us I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. And the last big ensemble film that Adam Sandler starred in was The Longest Yard. Not the best two films from Sandler in the last few years unfortunately. Here's what I'm wondering - are any of these guys funny enough anymore to all still bring something unique to this? I'm not saying that to be negative, but I'm curious whether these guys will be funnier together or whether they are funnier individually. And is the story good enough to be a hit by today's standards?

Explore tags: Casting, Movie News, Opinions

nate

With comedies, more is not always better. Two, maybe three funnymen will work. But, when you try to cram as many in as you can, it gets too be too much. Cameos are fine... Maybe its just too overwhelming, and people don't know what they should be laughing at. Then again, it could be good. Who's to say?
Mart

Best Cast Ever...
-Peter-

it looks like it's all the people who are always in Sandler's unfunny Happy Madison movies.
angryKID

Together at last? this is going to be the worst thing possible. If they wanna make it even worse they could maybe get Micheal Bay to direct.
Jay Beezy

Maybe Sandler will take another cue from Apatow and make it R-rated, particularly since he just filmed an Apatow movie. While it may seem like just another Happy Madison flick with all of those guys involved (or more like the Happy Madison All Star Game), it has potential since those five guys (minus Kevin James and plus Chris Farley) have all been best friends since their SNL days and the premise makes it sound like they are all playing relatively normal people and not racial stereotypes (i.e. Schneider). I read an article in the Boston Globe a few days ago that they were scouting locations in Boston and that filming will start in May, and I just happen to be in Boston during that time. It also said that Norm MacDonald and Steve Buscemi were also coming on board. Salma Hayek was listed as a possible female cast member. If there was another female actor who would have the time to come on board with my favorite actor Adam Sandler, it would have to be my favorite actress Jenna Fischer since she has off from The Office in May.
Chris

This could have been potentially good except for one thing. Rob Schneider. The last time he was funny was......................?
http://www.youtube.com/snears Nick Sears

It can go either way, but it definitely has my interest.
bourneidentity

Kevin James sucks! I can't stand that guy. He's never done anything funny. I now pronounce you was horrible. I walked out about 30 minutes into the movie. As much of a fan that I am of Adam Sandler, he hasn't done anything good either lately. As for David Spade, who in the hell is that? Was he the kid in Home Alone?
Movieraider321

wow number 8, first off your name is just beyond stupid of course I dont have much room to talk but hell, I'll take a cheap shot at your name anyday. DAVID SPADE is a very funny comedian, he did Dickie Roberts Childhood Star, and a lot of buddy comedies with Chris Farley, he was also on SNL for a number of years. Learn your damn actors buddy. Also walking out 30minutes into a movie is just stupid, normally the first 30minutes is the buildup and then the rest of the film is what you want to be paying attention to.
Matty

Rob Schneider is...... a carrot! Derp de derp. I hope its good. Several of the last of these guys' films were really, really bad.
zach

Add seth rogen and jonah hill and it would be a perfect cast. ALSO chuck and larry was funny that was like one of the funniest movies with sandler in it
http://truthoncinema.com Dan

It could work, it could turn into movie magic, it could reunite some of the funniest actors of the last decade...but in my opinion, it won't. I think there are too many egos and too many funny guys who will be vying for "funny guy screen time" throughout the movie. One of the reasons movies like Tommy Boy and Happy Gilmore were so funny was because of the main funny guy(s) and a smattering of comedic cameos throughout. Hopefully this is just early on speculation and they will be smart and feature 2 of the guys as the stars and let the others assist.
http://www.none.com D

2 for 5 isn't that bad, right?
Tim "Cloverfield"

The best thing about this ensemble? NO Seth Rogen and NO Ben Stiller. Just as long as Schneider does not have the line........ " You can do it!"
Shawn Keim

If they could replace James with another SNL cast person/alum that would be cool. This movie will defently be funny. Too bad this isnt the cast for Ghostbusters.
bourneidentity

#9 I know who David Spade is, my sister did several episodes of Just Shoot me with him, I was being sarcastic. He's not funny. He just rode the coat tails of Chris Farley. Kevin James still sucks!
dan

dump sandler and they've a great cast. adam sandler is sooooooooooooo over-rated.
Fisherr

Uhmmm....I am not sure about this maybe bringing all of these people in one movie is a bad idea.
http://firstshowing.net Andy Adair

bourneidentity, Kevin James doesn't suck. Sorry. Chuck and Larry was good, not great. Paul Blart was, well, okay that sucked. But he was very good in Hitch, and his show King of Queens was hilarious.
Allen Sharpe

all of these guys are amazing especially kevin james. however the plot kinda feels like that terrible movie wild hogs, with all the big stars and such. hopefully itll be funny instead.
rogemhatersunite

Whew. that was close!
Jay Beezy

The thing about Wild Hogs was that the four guys were just four random well known actors they just decided to throw together. The five people here are really close friends and go way back. And that could help the story and the characters be more organic. Hopefully Sandler takes another cue from Apatow and doesn't make cartoon characters out of himself and the others, but actual human characters with some real depth.
Greedo the Rodian

I recently noticed Kevin James was in 50 First Dates at the beginning. I really don't get it. This movie seems to be missing Chris Farley. Chris Rock and David Spade are always box office poison. Sandler is best when he's the lone crazy guy. Schneider is in every Sandler movie, like Turturro and Buscemi. Just hearing all these names sounds like The Benchwarmers. And if I wrote "Strange Wilderness," I would prefer to be Allan Smithee'd.
jack of spades

i think that it could go either way but for the ones that said kevin james isnt funny, look up his stand up "sweat the small stuff". it is one of the funniest stand ups that i have ever seen.
Caleb

#8 ...did you seriously ask who David Spade is? please get out of here
http://designblurb.com/ Eli

#25, he then redeemed himself by saying his sister has worked with David Spade. He actually just meant that David Spade isn't funny. His voice did wonders in The Emperor's New Groove
hier

best!!! will be a great movie!!! don't ask such silly questions it will be big like OHHH sh****t! : ) good work keep goin'!!!
Frank

Everbody is as excited as if large comedy casts even work anymore. Fact is last time they did was prior to the 70's when cinema was filled with comedic geniouses who knew how to act off each other. Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Sid Caeser, Buddy Hackett and so on. The days of the true comedian drunk master mind. This cast in it's entirity holds no where close. Lets face it Rob Schneider and David Spade have ridden the coat tales of far more successful SNL castmates since there SNL contracts ended. They have nothing to delivor on their own merit because they arent even worthy of the term cameo...more like extras. Not even in the thirty second scenes they add to sandler films as filler are worth remembering. As far as James, give me a break. Like people still need to be mentioning a half remembered show that had the same premis as six others at the time. And yeah as secondary charector I guess he holds his own at times but not on any basis that couldn't be replaced with any other mediocre actor. Sandler in my opinion works best alone. Throwing others in his way destroys his timing. As for Rock same shit terrific stand up decent side man for off beat comedies but only the kind that are meant to make you chuckle not laugh out loud. A mix of these actors will result in no more than a mess. I'm in agreements with an earlier writer. Two Comedic Actors maybe but only if they can pull of the chemistry and hilarity as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly made look effortless. But lets face it no one in these photos fits that bill........
Dan

I belive this as potential to be funny and a great movie.. Only if all them dont "TRY" to be funny (If you all know what i mean)
Voice of Reason

Not even a port-o-potty has as much shittiness as this movie appears to have.
Kris

It would be nice if Chris Farly was alive for a part in this. =/
chizzle

I LOVE THEM ALL TOGETHER! They should all do a comedy show on Showbizzle if they aren't going to do many movies anymore. They can join up with Fran Kranz, haha.
DGK22oz

This is being filmed in my town this summer i cant wait
LoveGun

The movies title is Lake House and it will come 12 March 2010.
quez

wow this will be good but they should have seth rogen that would be even better get that rob guy out and put rogen in!!!!!
max s.

isnt it funny sandlers worked with all these guys except spade. This will be the funniest movie ever
max s.

sorry guys about my comment i just meant in movies not in snl
max s.

bourne identity what the hell do you mean david spade has been in movies like dickie roberts and benchwarmers. idiot
max s.

and 26 bourne said he was joking
Name (required)

I thought David Spade was quite funny in Joe Dirt
Dude

I will agree with anyone who agrees about Kevin James. He sucks! Was he ever really funny enough or what ever else to be a comedian? I just watched the movie with 5 guys get together for July 4th. They should have found someone besides James. I just realized too that I think him and Seth Rogen are equally funny. But, how funny is that? LOL Now that was funny and I'm no comedian. I could have rather seen Ben Stiller in his place and for me to accept Ben Stiller as better?