People have been saying that “the Sandman is back” for a few years now. It happens whenever he does a drama. Following the success of Uncut Gems and Meyerowitz Stories, Adam Sandler is donning the frowny-face dramatic acting mask once again in Hustle, a sports drama for Netflix.
The new trailer, which dropped earlier today, puts Sandler in the middle of a Blue Chips-style drama about the ins and outs of basketball. Sandler appears locked into serious mode, evoking some of that Ben Affleck in The Way Back energy, as a talent scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who travels the world in hopes of finding a player that’s taller than 6-foot-5 and can save the team.
Here’s the synopsis from Netflix:
Stanley Sugerman’s (Adam Sandler) love for basketball is unparalleled, but the travel weary Philadelphia 76ers scout who has higher ambitions of being a coach remains stuck on the road looking for the next unknown talent. His search around the world leads him to Spain, when he discovers Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangómez), an incredible streetball player with a troubled past. Stanley and Bo connect on and off the court, with their passion for the game and as loving family men who want to prove they can win, in basketball and in life.
Produced by Sandler and LeBron James, Hustle stars Queen Latifah as Stanley’s wife, Ben Foster, Robert Duvall, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards, and Tobias Harris. They even got Jaleel White in this thing.
Despite all the trouble at the streamer, Netflix remains in the Sandler business. Netflix released a slew of Happy Madison movies in the past few years, including Hoobie Halloween, Murder Mystery, and The Ridiculous 6. Hustle will be Happy Madison’s first drama since Funny People. The most recent Happy Madison release, the Kevin James-vehicle Home Team, came out in January 2022 and has since been buried in Netflix’s massive content landfill.
Hustle debuts on Netflix on June 8, 2022.