Happy Madison Productions
Media production company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Happy Madison Productions, Inc. is an American independent film and television production company founded in 1999 by Adam Sandler,[1][2][3] which is best known for its comedy films. The company is named after the films Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, which both star Sandler himself, produced by Robert Simonds, written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and distributed by Universal Pictures.
Logo used since 2005 | |
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | December 10, 1999 |
| Founder | Adam Sandler |
| Headquarters |
|
Key people |
|
| Parent | Happy Madison, Inc. |
| Divisions | Madison 23 Productions Scary Madison Productions Meatball Animation Studio |
In addition to various Sandler-produced films, the company has also released films produced by others, such as Steven Brill, Dennis Dugan, Frank Coraci, Fred Wolf, Tom Brady, Peter Segal, Nicholaus Goossen, and Tyler Spindel.
The 1998 films The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer helped jump start Sandler's movie career and production company. He produced The Waterboy and co-wrote the script with Tim Herlihy. The film was extremely profitable, earning over $160 million in the United States alone and made Sandler a successful actor with The Waterboy becoming his second $100 million film in a year, along with The Wedding Singer.
The company's production offices were formerly located in the Judy Garland Building on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, but the company left after completion of Sandler's final contracted film for the studio, Pixels. Happy Madison, Inc., the parent company of Happy Madison Productions, is run by Adam Sandler's brother Scott, and is located in Manchester, New Hampshire.[4]
In 2002, the company expanded its operations onto television with a pilot commitment at The WB.[5] After fifteen years, head Doug Robinson left the company to start his own company with a deal at Sony Pictures Television.[6]
The company also had a short-lived subsidiary called Madison 23 Productions, which was aimed at the drama genre. It only produced two films: Reign Over Me and Funny People, both of which starred Sandler. Another subsidiary was Scary Madison Productions, which was aimed at the horror genre and only produced the film The Shortcut.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story by | Screenplay by | ||||||||
| 1999 | Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo | Mike Mitchell | Harris Goldberg Rob Schneider |
Barry Bernardi Sid Ganis |
$20 million | $120.9 million | with Out of the Blue... Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures; distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | ||
| 2000 | Little Nicky | Steven Brill | Tim Herlihy Adam Sandler Steven Brill |
Robert Simonds Jack Giarraputo |
$85 million | $58.3 million | with The Robert Simonds Company; distributed by New Line Cinema | ||
| 2001 | Joe Dirt | Dennie Gordon | David Spade Fred Wolf |
Robert Simonds | $17.7 million | $31 million | with Robert Simonds Productions and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| The Animal | Luke Greenfield | Tom Brady | Tom Brady Rob Schneider |
Barry Bernardi Carr D'Angelo Todd Garner |
$47 million | $84.8 million | with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | Steven Brill | Tim Herlihy | Sid Ganis Jack Giarraputo |
$50 million | $192.3 million | with Out of the Blue... Entertainment, New Line Cinema, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| The Master of Disguise | Perry Andelin Blake | Dana Carvey Harris Goldberg |
Sid Ganis Alex Siskin Barry Bernardi Todd Garner |
$16 million | $43.4 million | with Revolution Studios, Out of the Blue Entertainment and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| Eight Crazy Nights | Seth Kearsley | Brooks Arthur Allen Covert Brad Isaacs Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Allen Covert |
$34 million | $23.8 million | with Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| The Hot Chick | Tom Brady | Tom Brady Rob Schneider |
John Schneider Carr D'Angelo |
$34 million | $54.6 million | with Touchstone Pictures; distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | |||
| 2003 | Anger Management | Peter Segal | David S. Dorfman | Jack Giarraputo Barry Bernandi |
$75 million | $236.7 million | with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Sam Weisman | Fred Wolf David Spade |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$17 million | $23.8 million | distributed by Paramount Pictures | |||
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Peter Segal | George Wing | Jack Giarraputo Steve Golin Nancy Juvonen |
$80 million | $265.5 million | with Flower Films, Anonymous Content, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| 2005 | The Longest Yard | Sheldon Turner | Jack Giarraputo | $90 million | $194.5 million | with Callahan Filmworks, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures, and Columbia Pictures; distributed in the USA and Canada by Paramount Pictures and internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing (via Sony Pictures Releasing International) | |||
| Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo | Mike Bigelow | Rob Schneider | Rob Schneider David Garrett Jason Ward |
Jack Giarraputo Adam Sandler John Schneider |
$22 million | $45.1 million | with Out of the Blue... Entertainment and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| 2006 | Grandma's Boy | Nicholaus Goossen | Barry Wernick Allen Covert Nick Swardson |
Adam Sandler Allen Covert |
$5 million | $6.6 million | with Level 1 Entertainment; distributed in the USA and Canada by 20th Century Fox and internationally by Summit Entertainment | ||
| The Benchwarmers | Dennis Dugan | Allen Covert Nick Swardson |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$33 million | $65 million | with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| Click | Frank Coraci | Steve Koren Mark O'Keefe |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Neal H. Moritz Steve Koren Mark O'Keefe |
$85 million | $268.7 million | with Original Film, Revolution Studios, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| 2007 | Reign Over Me | Mike Binder | Jack Binder Michael Rotenberg |
$20 million | $22.2 million | with Sunlight Productions, Relativity Media, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Dennis Dugan | Barry Fanaro Alexander Payne Jim Taylor |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Tom Shadyac Michael Bostick |
$85 million | $190.1 million | with Shady Acres Entertainment and Relativity Media; distributed by Universal Pictures | |||
| 2008 | Strange Wilderness | Fred Wolf | Peter Gaulke Fred Wolf |
Peter Gaulke | $20 million | $6.9 million | with Level 1 Entertainment; distributed by Paramount Pictures | ||
| You Don't Mess with the Zohan | Dennis Dugan | Adam Sandler Robert Smigel Judd Apatow |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$90 million | $217.3 million | with Smigel/Dugan Productions, Relativity Media, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| The House Bunny | Fred Wolf | Karen McCullah Kirsten Smith |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Allen Covert Heather Parry Anna Faris |
$25 million | $70.4 million | with Alta Loma Entertainment, Relativity Media, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| Bedtime Stories | Adam Shankman | Matt Lopez | Matt Lopez Tim Herlihy |
Andrew Gunn Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$80 million | $224.9 million | with Gunn Films, Conman & Izzy Productions, Offspring Entertainment, and Walt Disney Pictures; distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | ||
| 2009 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop | Steve Carr | Kevin James Nick Bakay |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Kevin James Todd Garner Barry Bernardi |
$26 million | $186.3 million | with Relativity Media and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| Funny People | Judd Apatow | Judd Apatow Clayton Townsend Barry Mendel |
$75 million | $71.6 million | with Apatow Productions, Relativity Media, Universal Pictures, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Universal Pictures | ||||
| The Shortcut | Nicholaus Goossen | Dan Hannon Scott Sandler |
Scott Einbinder Scott Sandler Ingo Vollkammer Brian Witten |
$1 million | N/a | as Scary Madison Productions; with Leomax; distributed by Leomax and Mind's Eye Entertainment | |||
| 2010 | Grown Ups | Dennis Dugan | Adam Sandler Fred Wolf |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$80 million | $291.4 million | with Relativity Media and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| 2011 | Just Go with It | Allan Loeb Timothy Dowling |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Heather Parry |
$80 million | $253.2 million | with Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| Zookeeper | Frank Coraci | Jay Scherick David Ronn |
Nick Bakay Rock Reuben Kevin James Jay Scherick David Ronn |
Todd Garner Kevin James Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Walt Becker |
$80 million | $172.8 million | with Broken Road Productions, Hey Eddie Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star | Tom Brady | Adam Sandler Allen Covert Nick Swardson |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Allen Covert Nick Swardson David S. Dorfman |
$10 million | $2.5 million | with Miles Deep Productions and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| Jack and Jill | Dennis Dugan | Ben Zook | Steve Koren Adam Sandler |
Todd Garner Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$80 million | $179.6 million | with Broken Road Productions and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| 2012 | That's My Boy | Sean Anders | David Caspe | Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Heather Parry Allen Covert |
$70 million | $57.7 million | with Relativity Media and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | ||
| Here Comes the Boom | Frank Coraci | Allan Loeb Kevin James |
Todd Garner Kevin James |
$42 million | $73.1 million | with Broken Road Productions, Hey Eddie Productions, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |||
| 2013 | Grown Ups 2 | Dennis Dugan | Fred Wolf Adam Sandler Tim Herlihy |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$80 million | $277.4 million | with Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | [7] | |
| 2014 | Blended | Frank Coraci | Clare Sera Ivan Menchell |
Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo Mike Karz |
$40 million | $136 million | with Gulfstream Pictures and RatPac-Dune Entertainment; distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures | [8] | |
| 2015 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 | Andy Fickman | Nick Bakay Kevin James |
Todd Garner Kevin James Adam Sandler Jack Giarraputo |
$30 million | $127.6 million | with Broken Road Productions, Hey Eddie Productions, LStar Capital, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | [9] | |
| Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser | Fred Wolf | David Spade Fred Wolf |
Adam Sandler David Spade Fred Wolf Amy S. Kim Jaimie Burke Brian Tanke |
$3.7 million | N/a | distributed by Crackle (through Sony Pictures Releasing) | [10] | ||
| Pixels | Chris Columbus | Tim Herlihy | Tim Herlihy Tim Dowling |
Adam Sandler Chris Columbus Mark Radcliffe Allen Covert |
$120 million | $245.1 million | with 1492 Pictures, LStar Capital, China Film Group Corporation, Film Croppers Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | [11] | |
| The Ridiculous 6 | Frank Coraci | Tim Herlihy Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Allen Covert Ted Sarandos |
$60 million | N/a | distributed by Netflix | |||
| 2016 | The Do-Over | Steven Brill | Kevin Barnett Chris Pappas |
Adam Sandler Allen Covert Kevin Grady Ted Sarandos |
$40 million | N/a | |||
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler | Dan Bulla Paul Sado Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Allen Covert Ted Sarandos |
$24.3 million | N/a | ||||
| 2018 | The Week Of | Robert Smigel | Robert Smigel Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Allen Covert |
N/a | N/a | |||
| Father of the Year | Tyler Spindel | Brandon Cournoyer Tyler Spindel |
Allen Covert | N/a | N/a | [12] | |||
| 2019 | Murder Mystery | Kyle Newacheck | James Vanderbilt | Adam Sandler Allen Covert Tripp Vinson James D. Stern James Vanderbilt A.J. Dix |
N/a | N/a | with Vinson Films, Endgame Entertainment, Mythology Entertainment, Denver and Delilah Productions, and Tower Hill Entertainment; distributed by Netflix | ||
| 2020 | The Wrong Missy | Tyler Spindel | Chris Pappas Kevin Barnett |
Kevin Grady Allen Covert Judit Maull |
N/a | N/a | distributed by Netflix | [13] | |
| Hubie Halloween | Steven Brill | Tim Herlihy Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Kevin Grady Allen Covert |
$14 million[14] | N/a | ||||
| 2022 | Home Team | Charles Kinnane Daniel Kinnane |
Chris Titone Keith Blum |
Adam Sandler Kevin Grady Allen Covert Kevin James Jeff Lowell Jeff Sussman |
N/a | N/a | with Hey Eddie Productions; distributed by Netflix | ||
| Hustle | Jeremiah Zagar | Taylor Materne Will Fetters |
LeBron James Maverick Carter Joe Roth Joseph Vecsey Jeff Kirschenbaum Zack Roth Adam Sandler Allen Covert |
$21 million | N/a | with Roth/Kirschenbaum Films and SpringHill Company; distributed by Netflix | [15] | ||
| 2023 | Murder Mystery 2 | Jeremy Garelick | James Vanderbilt | Adam Sandler Allen Covert Tripp Vinson Jennifer Aniston James Vanderbilt James D. Stern |
N/a | N/a | with Echo Films, Mythology Entertainment, Vinson Films, and Endgame Entertainment; distributed by Netflix | [16] | |
| The Out-Laws | Tyler Spindel | Evan Turner Ben Zazove |
Allen Covert Adam DeVine Adam Sandler |
$47 million[17] | N/a | distributed by Netflix | [18] | ||
| You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah | Sammi Cohen | Alison Peck | Adam Sandler Tim Herlihy Leslie Morgenstein Elysa Koplovitz Dutton |
N/a | N/a | with Alloy Entertainment; distributed by Netflix | [19] | ||
| Leo | Robert Smigel Robert Marianetti David Wachtenheim |
Robert Smigel Adam Sandler Paul Sado |
Adam Sandler Mireille Soria |
N/a | N/a | with Netflix Animation; distributed by Netflix | [20] | ||
| 2025 | Kinda Pregnant | Tyler Spindel | Julie Paiva | Julie Paiva Amy Schumer |
Adam Sandler Tim Herlihy Amy Schumer Molly Sims Alex Saks Kevin Grady Eli Thomas Judit Maull |
N/a | N/a | with Saks Picture Company and Something Happy Productions; distributed by Netflix | [21][22] |
| Happy Gilmore 2 | Kyle Newacheck | Tim Herlihy Adam Sandler |
Adam Sandler Tim Herlihy Jack Giarraputo Robert Simonds |
$152.5 million[23] | N/a | with Pro Shop Studios; distributed by Netflix | [24] | ||
| 2026 | Roommates | Chandler Levack | Jimmy Fowlie Ceara O'Sullivan |
Adam Sandler Tim Herlihy Brian Kavanaugh-Jones |
$30 million | N/a | with Range Media Partners; distributed by Netflix | [25][26] | |
| Don't Say Good Luck | Julia Hart | Laura Hankin Julia Hart Jordan Horowitz |
Adam Sandler Julia Hart Jordan Horowitz Brian Kavanaugh-Jones |
N/a | N/a | with Original Headquarters; distributed by Netflix | |||
| TBA | Dad Camp | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/a | N/a | with 21 Laps Entertainment; distributed by Netflix | [27] |
Stand-up specials
| Year | Title | Director | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh | Steven Brill | co-production with Netflix | N/a |
| 2024 | Adam Sandler: Love You | Josh Safdie | co-production with Irwin Entertainment and Netflix | [28] |
Television
| Year | Title | Network | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2013 | Rules of Engagement | CBS | with Game Six Productions, CBS Television Studios, and Sony Pictures Television | |
| 2008 | The Gong Show with Dave Attell | Comedy Central | with GOLDer Productions and Sony Pictures Television | |
| 2010–2011 | Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | with Culver Entertainment | ||
| 2011–2012 | Breaking In | Fox | with Adam F. Goldberg Productions and Sony Pictures Television | |
| 2013–2023 | The Goldbergs | ABC | co-production with Adam F. Goldberg Productions (seasons 1–8), Doug Robinson Productions (seasons 5–10), Swinging Cricket Productions (season 9), Script L. Shannon, Inc. (season 9), This Episode is Entirely a Work of Fiction, LLC (season 10), and Sony Pictures Television | |
| 2017 | Imaginary Mary | co-production with Adam F. Goldberg Productions, ABC Studios, and Sony Pictures Television | [29] | |
| 2019–2020 | Schooled | co-production with Adam F. Goldberg Productions, Marc Firek Productions, Doug Robinson Productions, ABC Studios, and Sony Pictures Television |
Critical reception
Happy Madison's films have, for the most part, received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with most criticism targeted towards the crude humor, excessive product placement, celebrity cameos, and sentimental endings that contradict the mostly mean-spirited tones of the films. Some drama films (Reign Over Me, Funny People, Hustle and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with Sandler's performance garnering critical praise. The company has put out four films considered to be some of the worst ever made, while two other films have received a 0% score from Rotten Tomatoes.[30][31][32][33]