Once upon a time, the Adam Sandler name was associated with romantic comedies like 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, and Just Go With It. Though he was simultaneously associated with silly slapstick comedies like Grown Ups, Jack and Jill, and That’s My Boy. Sandler was known to occasionally dip his foot into more dramatic work, to much acclaim in films like Punch Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories, and Reign Over Me. In 2019, A24 released the Safdie Brothers' film Uncut Gems and Sandler’s performance in the crime thriller once again proved that there was more to him than light-hearted comedies. Now, Sandler is bringing his dramatic chops to Netflix after a string of sillier comedies for the streamer with the sports drama Hustle, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Hustle tells the story of Stanley Sugarman (Adam Sandler), a washed-up basketball scout who’s trying to revive his career. While in Spain, Sugarman stumbles upon Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez), an exceptional street basketball player, and sees the player as his opportunity to get back into the NBA. Of course, the road will not be easy for the underdog player who has a rough and checkered past or for Sugarman, whose career is pretty much dead.
Hustle is the latest release that falls under his ongoing deal with Netflix. In 2014, Sandler signed a deal with Netflix to make four films for the platform, a deal that was renewed twice more in 2017 and 2020. Since then, Sandler has made The Ridiculous 6 (2015), The Do-Over (2016), Sandy Wexler (2017), The Week of (2018), Murder Mystery (2019), and Hubie Halloween (2020), with Hustle being the sixth film.
Hustle is produced by Sandler and basketball star, LeBron James. Sandler’s Happy Madison subsidiary Madison 23 also produced the movie alongside LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment company and Roth/Kirschenbaum Films. The film was written by Taylor Materne and Academy Award nominee, Will Fetters. Materne has written for video games such as NBA 2K19 and NBA2K20 while Fetters received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the 2018 musical, A Star is Born. Sundance Film Festival Winner, Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals) directed the film. Hustle stars Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangómez, Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Robert Duvall, María Botto, and Andrea Sooch.
Are you excited to see Sandler’s latest drama film? Here’s everything you need to know about Hustle from release date to plot and streaming details.
What is Hustle About?
The official synopsis for Hustle reads:
"After discovering a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad, a down on his luck basketball scout (Adam Sandler) takes it upon himself to bring the phenom to the States without his team's approval. Against the odds, they have one final shot to prove they have what it takes to make it in the NBA."
Watch the Trailer for Hustle
Netflix released the official trailer on May 10th, 2022. The trailer introduces us to Stanley Sugarman, a scout for the 76ers. He’s been in the league for 30 years but still feels like nothing. Sugarman wants to coach someday, and he travels to different places such as Nigeria, China, Greece, and Germany looking for a talented player who will help him get back in the game. He finally finds what he’s looking for when he gets to Spain. He meets street basketball player, Bo Cruz and convinces Cruz to follow him back to Philly, where he intends to change Cruz’s world overnight. Sugarman plans to fine-tune Cruz’s raw talent into NBA material but is met with challenges and reality checks at every turn. Will Sugarman succeed with Cruz, or will his career take a bigger hit than it did before? We can only find out when the movie premieres.
When Will Hustle be Released?
Hustle will be released on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
Where Can You Stream Hustle?
Hustle will be released in select theaters on June 3 and Netflix on June 8. If you don’t have Netflix, you can sign up for their Basic, Standard, or Premium plans for $9.99, $15.99, or $19.99 respectively.
Who Are the Cast of Hustle?
Adam Sandler stars as Stanley Sugarman, the washed-up basketball coach. Sandler has been starring in comedy films spanning five decades, from his debut in the 1989 comedy film, Going Overboard to his most recent Netflix comedy in 2020, Hubie Halloween. Sandler’s extensive career has earned him lots of nominations and awards including the Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and more. It might not come as a surprise to many that Sandler is starring in a basketball film because the actor not only is an avid basketball player but also attends NBA matches regularly.
Real-life professional basketball player, Juancho Hernangómez stars as Bo Cruz, the talented streetball player that is discovered. This is Hernangómez’s debut acting performance, but the Spanish player brings lots of experience from his personal life as a basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Rapper, actress, and singer, Queen Latifah stars as Stanley’s wife, Teresa Sugarman. Latifah is best known for her roles as Khadijah James on the sitcom, Living Single (1993 - 1998) and as Matron “Mama” Morton in the 2002 musical, Chicago, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Latifah’s work in music is also unparalleled. Her 1993 single, "U.N.I.T.Y." earned her a Grammy Award, and she went on to become the first hip hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Latifah has won numerous awards for her music, films, and television performance. The awards include an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, two NAACP Image Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Academy Award Winner Robert Duvall also stars in Hustle. You might recognize Duvall from his role in the 1972 crime film, The Godfather and his most recent role in the 2021 sports film, 12 Mighty Orphans. Duvall’s acting career spans about seven decades with his first role in 1962 as Boo Radley in the drama film, To Kill a Mockingbird. Duvall has won several awards such as three Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Other stars in the film include Ben Foster, María Botto, and Andrea Sooch. Some NBA players such as Seth Curry, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, Matisse Thybulle, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Clarkson, Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, Boban Marjanovic, and Aaron Gordon also have cameos in the film.