Adam Sandler’s career may be at a crossroads following last year’s Razzie-winning That’s My Boy. The actor has long been a regular target for critics, but his last film – which paired him with former SNL star Andy Samberg – followed suit at the box office, bringing in a mere $36.9 million domestically against a $70 million production budget.
This summer’s Grown Ups 2 should lead Sandler to yet another winner, but – considering that it is an ensemble piece featuring fellow funnymen Chris Rock, Kevin James and David Spade – Sandler would be wise to carefully select his next few projects. He’s already attached to western comedy Ridiculous Six and a Candy Land adaptation, and by the looks of things, he’s made another interesting choice.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sandler has nabbed the lead role in supernatural comedy Hello Ghost for Universal. The film – a remake of a 2010 Korean release – follows a man who is haunted by four ghosts after a suicide attempt. In order to rid himself of these spirits, he must help them each fix mistakes they made during their lives. Chris Columbus (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) will direct a script by Karen Croner (Admission).
Adam Sandler Donnys Boy Adam Sandler Joins Chris Columbus Comedy Hello Ghost
Plotwise, Hello Ghost sounds an awful lot like Heart & Souls, the underrated 1993 comedy starring future Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. as an attorney who must help four ghosts resolve their unfinished business before they can cross over. Still, the film marks an interesting change of pace for Sandler, whose most frequent collaborators behind the camera are directors Dennis Dugan (Jack and Jill, Grown Ups) and Frank Coraci (Click, The Waterboy).
There’s no telling at this point what kind of tone the film will have, but with Columbus aboard, it will likely lean more toward the sentimental. The director may be best known for his work on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and its sequel, but the majority of his filmography includes sentimental comedies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Nine Months and the first two Home Alone films. So Sandler fans should expect more Click than Happy Gilmore with this one.
However, before Hello Ghost hits theaters, Sandler will reteam with Drew Barrymore for Blended, the duo’s third cinematic collaboration and the first since 50 First Dates in 2004. Long story short: That’s My Boy may have been a particularly nasty misstep in Sandler’s career, but the actor is far from slipping off the silver screen.
