Kevin James endorsed The Waterboy as the Adam Sandler movie he wants to get a sequel from Netflix. The 1998 comedy was a commercial success, earning $190 million worldwide. It was panned by critics but beloved by audiences, suggesting James isn't alone in wanting to see Bobby Boucher take the field one more time.
The Waterboy was inspired partly by Sandler's controversial Saturday Night Live character "Canteen Boy." Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy wanted to create a world where Sandler did not play the wildcard but was instead the good guy surrounded by surreal and absurd characters. A supporting cast that included Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, and Fairuza Balk helped The Waterboy achieve that goal while creating arguably one of the best football movies ever made.
Still, no one in the movie quite compares to Sandler's Bobby Boucher. The waterboy-turned-star linebacker for the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs was an instant hit with audiences despite earning Sandler a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. Count Kevin James among those who want to see more of Bobby Boucher, telling Cinemablend that the Waterboy character would be perfect for Netflix:
I think Bobby Boucher would crush it. I’d wanna see more of that. I think he’s phenomenal. I would love to see that.
Netflix would be the logical home for a potential Waterboy 2 or other resurrection of a Sandler character. Sandler's Happy Madison Productions recently signed a new deal with the streaming service to produce four more films. Given the popularity of his Netflix projects, there is no reason to believe the partnership won't continue well into the future.
But it's hard to imagine Sandler having any desire to restart Bobby Boucher. The character passed on a chance for NFL glory and rode off into the sunset with his bride at the end of The Waterboy. It would take some serious creativity on Sandler and Herlihy's part to develop a story idea worthy of reviving Boucher more than 20 years later. Instead, the actor seems much more interested in projects like Uncut Gems and developing movies for himself and his friends.
Sander has also demonstrated a certain selectivity when it comes to sequels. Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Wedding Singer are among Sandler's early comedies that all found some level of cult-classic status but never receive serious sequel discussions. Only Grown Ups was turned into a franchise. Coincidently, that series also costars Kevin James, so perhaps the King of Queens actor is laying the groundwork for another gig by pumping up The Waterboy.
Source: Cinemablend