Making a sequel to Pixels would work for Adam Sandler, but it would continue his ongoing war with critics to be taken seriously as an actor. Even after a movie career spanning three decades and counting, Adam Sandler is one of the most divisive figures in Hollywood. Although he secured his reputation as the star of a string of brainless, but generally well-loved comedies, Sandler has met with acclaim for his roles in a select few films.
However, Sandler's catalog contains a number of critically panned films which have contributed to the divided reaction he continues to receive from audiences. Lately, Adam Sandler's career has maintained this confusing trajectory as he's taken on roles in more serious dramas, but has also confirmed that he's making sequels to his less popular films. While these sequels are often dismissed by his detractors, there is one theoretically perfect sequel that he's yet to make.
Released in 2015, Pixels was a critical disaster, but a follow-up could win over audiences. A sci-fi comedy about aliens invading Earth in the guise of '80s video game characters, Pixels was widely panned by critics - although crucially, it was something of a box office success. This makes it a prime candidate for Sandler's sequel treatment, even if it would only serve to fuel the fire of his ongoing battle against the critical reception of his films.
A number of Adam Sandler's most successful comedies have low scores on Rotten Tomatoes, which goes some way towards proving that a Pixels sequel would be a good idea for the comic actor. As Pixels' premise was centered around nostalgia, capitalizing on that for a sequel by introducing subsequent generations of video game characters would be a logical progression of its narrative. In addition, Pixels' box office success would make it particularly easy for Sandler to get a green light on a sequel, and it would allow Sandler to continue to make the sort of comedies that much of his audience expect from him.
While Pixels failed to impress critics, it's somewhat more popular with general audiences, many of which are more sympathetic to Sandler's efforts. As the film contained an excellent comedic cast comprised of Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, and Josh Gad, a sequel would also possess a certain amount of star power. Adam Sandler's Netflix movies tend to fit this same pattern, meaning that a Pixels sequel could possibly find its home there in line with Sandler's deal with the streaming giant.
Adam Sandler has made strides in recent years with regards to improving his standing with critics. However, much of his loyal audience is equally interested in seeing him continue making silly comedies, and so it would most likely pay for Sandler to continue that particular trend. Although making a sequel to one of his critically panned films may seem counter-productive, a follow-up to Pixels would be an easy sequel that would practically write itself, while still allowing Sandler to keep working with his friends, as he is known to do.