Fans Want a ‘Sandlerverse’ Movie That Unites Adam Sandler’s Films and He Says He’s Interested
A popular technique in movie making is to set different movies within the same universe. Sometimes the stories connect, as in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and other times they simply take place in the same reality, as with director Quentin Tarantino’s movies.
But placing multiple storylines in the same universe is a sure way to engage the viewers, as they try to figure out exactly where the different plots come together. But could this same technique work with Adam Sandler‘s many movies? Some people think it could.
Hints of a shared universe
In October, Netflix released an original film that was written, produced, and starring Sandler. Called Hubie Halloween, it was well-received by fans — and they couldn’t help but notice something. We Got This Covered explained that Sandler’s new movie contained several references to other movies he’s been in, some going as far back as the ’90s.
One character in Hubie Halloween is played by Ben Stiller and named Hal L. Stiller also played a character by the same name in Happy Gilmore. Julie Bowen plays Sandler’s love interest, Violet Valentine. She also played the part of his love interest in Happy Gilmore, Virginia Venit. Several of the female romantic leads in Sandler movies have the initials VV.
These subtle nods in the new movie to earlier films have gotten people wondering if it’s possible that all of Sandler’s movies could possibly share the same universe.
Is there a Sandlerverse?
At first glance, the idea might not seem very likely. But according to Screen Rant, the evidence is there. When you comb through Sandler’s body of work, there are several characters who appear in different movies, usually played by the same actor.
For instance, there’s the “you can do it” guy, who shows up in random scenes to shout that encouraging phrase. He’s been in at least seven movies, usually played by Rob Schneider. Schneider also played another repeating character, Nazo the delivery guy.
Nazo is first seen in Big Daddy, then he briefly appears again in Mr. Deeds. Carl Weathers plays a character named Chubbs who appears in both Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky.
Not only does it seem to be possible to connect the movies in a Sandlerverse, but Sandler himself is open to the idea, although he’s not quite ready to jump into the project.
“I’d like that,” he said. “I just gotta get mentally prepared for that. So that’ll probably happen in another 35 years. We’re gonna get to that.”
How would a ‘Sandlerverse’ work?
Could a movie tie Sandler’s many cinematic masterpieces together? According to We Got This Covered, there’s a theory about that too, and it all comes back to the movie Funny People.
In this 2009 dramatic comedy, Sandler plays George Simmons, an actor who’s famous for his popular but critically panned comedies. Some feel that George could be the unifying element in the Sandlerverse. A movie that centered on George could include all the other Sandler movies as parts that George played along the way.
It’s not unheard of as a way to connect movies. Quentin Tarantino also connects his films through movies. The characters from one movie, such as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, can be seen going to the theater to watch From Dusk Till Dawn or Kill Bill.
It does seem as though this would work to bring together the different worlds of Sandler into a single universe. After all, he has some very loyal fans who have enjoyed spotting repeating characters throughout the years. It seems as though they would love a movie that ties it all together.
Although the idea of a Sandlerverse may seem a little wild, if anyone can make it work, Sandler can.
