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In Hollywood, there have been many faces that have taken the industry by storm, one of the most prominent would be, of course, Adam Sandler. Sandler has been in a multitude of different movies and TV shows, but some determined people have been able to find links between the everlasting plethora of content he has been featured in. These connections have been unofficially dubbed as “The Sandlerverse.”
The Sandlerverse was a theory first brought to light in early 2016 by a Youtuber by the name of Shawn Kohne, and ever since then the theory has spread widely online. The theory itself connects some of the most known movies that Sandler has been in through cameos, references, and characters that make appearances in a wide variety of his content. Movies connected to this idea include 50 First Dates, Tommy Boy, Blended, Happy Gilmore, Little Nicky, The Waterboy, Joe Dirt, The Animal, and over fifteen others.
The theory first relates a chronological relationship between movies, mostly in relation to the morals/themes of the films themselves. Early classics like “Happy Gilmore” and “Billy Madison” set the foundation for the cinematic universe, displaying a world of unlikely situations and comically exaggerated characters who have to overcome obstacles in one way or another. Then, to expand the connections, the universe gets movies like “The Waterboy” and “Big Daddy.” The film, “The Waterboy,” is about an awkward character named Bobby Boucher, who discovers his secret talent for football through mentorship by his coach. In the film, “Big Daddy,” however, the main character wants to prove that he has matured, and adopts a kid as a last resort, without knowing how to take care of a growing child. These movies collectively start to bring together themes of wholesome comedy and mentorship into the cinematic universe.
Continuing on with the chronological aspect of the theory, the films begin to take a magical twist. Films like “Little Nicky” and “Click” start to come out, which introduce themes revolving around the afterlife and time manipulation. When these themes come together, they suggest that both the physical and metaphysical are possible in the cinematic universe. Once films like “50 First Dates” and “Grown Ups” come out, they start to show themes of maturing, although comedy is still the main priority. Both movies bring back old characters, reuniting the themes that have been presented throughout previous films, creating somewhat of a reunion to end off the chronological branch of The Sandlerverse.
Another branch of the theory focuses on cameos and other overlapping characters that are seen in a surplus of different Sandler films. In both “The Waterboy” and “Little Nicky,” we see a character that doesn’t seem to have a name, although he does have a recognizable catchphrase– “You can do it!” This character has become somewhat of an easter egg among the franchise, and yet he is still only referred to as the “You can do it” guy. He is also seen in another Sandler film, “The Longest Yard,” as he chants the iconic catchphrase to motivate his prison football team.
Fan favorite characters, like 10-second Tom, have also become recurring characters in multiple different movies. Tom is quite unique to the sandlerverse, as his character appears in 2 movies, (excluding his own) in almost the same exact way. The main gimmick about his character is that his memory only lasts for 10 seconds; it’s basically his brand. He is first seen in “50 First Dates,” a movie in which the main character falls in love with a woman that suffers from some sort of short-term memory loss, and continuously tries to win her love back on their “first date.” During this movie, there is a scene where the woman is receiving treatment for her memory condition, and Tom comes into frame. Tom then introduces himself to the woman with his iconic “Hi, I’m Tom!” and does nothing more. Tom was also in another Sandler movie, titled, “Blended.” “Blended” is a movie about two single parents who go on a blind date that goes comically wrong, and later go on an accidental trip to Africa together. Before both families get into the vacation together, there is a scene that serves as a callback to Tom’s previous roles when meeting one of the parents in a store before the trip.
Along with repeated characters, there are also a select group of actors that repeatedly fill different roles across Sandler movies. Actors in this group include, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Kevin James, and a few others.
The production company behind Adam Sandler’s Movies, Happy Madison Productions, plays a key part in the Sandlerverse as well. The studio keeps a consistent overall theme of comedy and familiarity between all movies. Without the studio overseeing actors and scripts, we wouldn’t have the cameos or cross references that make up a large majority of the cinematic universe.
The Sandlerverse theory has become an integral part of the Sandler cinematic empire, connecting characters, storylines, and morals between a multitude of films. The theory doesn’t just show how active the fans are in the community, it shows how thoughtful the production team behind the scenes is. Because of the production team’s decisions to add these easter eggs, the community continues to play the whack-a-mole like game to find them all. For all we know, there still could be more connections out there!
Works Cited
“Every Adam Sandler & Kevin James Movie Collaboration, Ranked.” Screen Rant, 20 May 2024, https://screenrant.com/adam-sandler-kevin-james-best-movie-collaborations/.
Hanson, Elise, et al. “Every Adam Sandler Movie Character In Multiple Films.” Screen Rant, 29 November 2020, https://screenrant.com/adam-sandler-movie-characters-multiple-films-sandlerverse/.
Kohne, Shawn. “The Sandlerverse.” YouTube, 26 January 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjbrKseSURU.
Scheer, Patricia. “What Is the Adam Sandler Cinematic Universe?” MovieWeb, 21 April 2024, https://movieweb.com/adam-sandler-cinematic-universe-explained/.
