Adam Sandler has always done well in sports comedies, namely Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, The Longest Yard etc. Sandler is seen as a basketball scout in Netflix’s Hustle, where he discovers a rogue talent.
Jeremiah Zaga directs the film. It is Sander’s fourth collaboration with Netflix, following films like Uncut Gems, Hubbie Halloween, Murder Mystery, etc.
The movie also stars Juancho Herangomez, Robert Duvall, Ben Foster, Queen Latifah, Heidi Garner, Kenny Smith and Jordan Hull. Sandler plays a jaded basketball scout named Stanley Sugarman, who attempts to revive his career after discovering a generational Spanish talent with a turbulent life who has the potential of becoming the next big NBA legend.
Sandler’s character chances upon the Spanish talent in Spain when he travels there to discover rising European talent. While it is an excellent way of showcasing the NBA’s relationship with foreign talent, Netflix was instrumental in changing the film’s original premise.
On The Dan Patrick Show, Sandler revealed that the film was initially written in China, but Netflix intervened and requested them to “find someone in Latin America or Europe”.
Sandler said, “It was written originally that I find a player in China and somehow, Netflix is not in China.”
China has had a pretty tumultuous relationship with Netflix. Despite their best efforts, the streaming giant has been unable to find a place in the country as the government continuously dissuades their efforts.
Being set in Spain, the film was able to star real-life Utah Jazz player Hernangomez as the rising talent. Sandler was all praises for Hernangomez. He said, “He acts better than me in every scene … Every joke he says, I’m like, ‘He said it smoother than I would have.'”
Hustle will begin streaming on Netflix on June 8th, 2022.
