Since making his feature debut 32 years ago, there has largely only ever been two sides to Adam Sandler, one of which we see a lot more regularly than the other. There’s the comedy star that’s seen his output rake in billions of dollars at the box office and win him a legion of fans, cementing his reputation as one of the most reliable and proven draws in the industry over the last 25 years, despite consistent critical apathy.
Then there’s the acclaimed dramatic actor, who every now and again shows up in projects like Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, Funny People and Uncut Gems to remind us that there’s much more to him than producing and starring in repetitive Happy Madison vehicles featuring his usual close circle of friends and collaborators.
He did once appear in a buddy cop actioner opposite Damon Wayans, but 1996’s Bulletproof made it pretty clear that Sandler was never going to cut it as an action hero. Still, he’s never been shy when it comes to dipping his toes into different genres and we’ve heard from our sources this week – the same ones who told us Luke Skywalker would show up in The Mandalorian season 2 – that the 54 year-old is keen to broaden his horizons, and is actively in talks for several horror movies.
We previously learned that The Sandman was in discussions to star in the high concept Dream Scenario being produced by Hereditary and Midsommar‘s Ari Aster, but it’s unclear if that’s one of the projects still under consideration. The premise, though, follows a university professor who starts appearing in the dreams of people all over the world, before things take a sinister turn when he begins using his abilities to become famous.
While a lot of audiences might find that Adam Sandler starring in a horror movie would stretch suspension of disbelief to breaking point, something like Dream Scenario or a Blumhouse effort could definitely use his established persona to their advantage.
