No, this isn’t Hustlers, the stripper revenge story following J.Lo in stunning furs. It also isn’t The Hustle, a less glamorous comedy about two players, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, outsmarted by a genius. No, this is the trailer for Adam Sandler’s new Netflix movie Hustle. Swap the strippers and cons for the fast-paced world of basketball recruitment.
Before we get into the details of the Hustle trailer, let’s take it back to 2019, a year in which Adam Sandler made the world one of the finest promises of all time. As his critically-adored A24 film Uncut Gems made the rounds, Sandler threatened a big consequence if he didn’t win the Oscar for playing Howard Ratner.
"If I don't get it, I'm going to fucking come back and do one again that is so bad on purpose just to make you all pay,” Sandler told Howard Stern. “That's how I get them."
Is Hustle that terrible movie? That remains to be seen—and he was likely hinting at one of the reviled, juvenile comedies that have been his bread and butter for so many years. The trailer for Hustle does hint at an emotional film that’s maybe even more serious of a turn for Sandler than Uncut Gems was. Instead of running a basketball team via magical jewels, Sandler’s new character, Stanley Sugarman, recruits players for a team. He doesn’t have enough time with his family, is obsessed with his job, and against all odds, he needs a big win for this new team.
“You know I haven’t been home on my daughter’s birthday for nine years running?” Sandler says in the trailer, an eerie parallel to the lackluster parenting he showcases in Uncut Gems.
But “being the guy that finds the guy” is as important as ever, and Stanley’s on the hunt to scout a team good enough to make the NBA. In order to do what’s right for “the kids” (whether Sandler means his children or the players’ kiddos), he’s got to keep working his butt off—hustling!—to get the perfect team on track for some wins.
Hustle stars Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall, Ben Foster, and Jaleel White. Sandler executive produces the film alongside LeBron James.
Hustle is one of Sandler’s many Netflix films that have come out of his growing partnership with the company. Since he signed his deal in 2014, the comedic actor has released The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, Sandy Wexler, The Week Of, Hubie Halloween, and Murder Mystery, which has set a sequel coming soon. He’s got a sci-fi drama, Spaceman, on the way, and surely more to come after that. Sandler’s collaborations with Netflix are endless.
Hustle will debut on Netflix on June 10.
