The childhood friends who refused to behave like adults are getting together again.
Netflix has officially started filming Grown Ups 3, bringing back the principal ensemble from the first two comedy films for a new adventure. Production is taking place in New Jersey, although the streaming company has not announced a release date.
Adam Sandler will return as Lenny, joined by Kevin James as Eric, Chris Rock as Kurt, David Spade as Marcus and Rob Schneider as Rob. Salma Hayek Pinault, Maya Rudolph and Maria Bello will also reprise their respective roles as Roxanne, Deanne and Sally.
The returning cast extends far beyond the five central friends. Steve Buscemi, Shaquille O’Neal, Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri, Nick Swardson and Jackie Sandler are among the performers expected to appear again.
Several actors who portrayed the characters’ children are also returning, allowing the new film to show how the families have changed since audiences last saw them in 2013. Netflix’s brief story description reveals that the children are now adults, leaving their parents free to pursue what is being described as their biggest adventure yet.
New performers joining the franchise include Modern Family star Julie Bowen, comedian Deon Cole and actress Bailee Madison. Their characters have not been disclosed.
The original Grown Ups, released in 2010, followed five former childhood friends who reunited after the death of their basketball coach. They brought their families together for a holiday weekend that quickly became a mixture of competition, arguments and memories from their younger years.
The 2013 sequel moved the group’s chaos back to their hometown and expanded the story around their families and local rivals. While both films received divided critical reactions, they developed a large audience through home entertainment and repeated television and streaming exposure.
The third instalment arrives during a broader revival of comedies that first became popular in the 2000s and early 2010s. Rather than replacing the original actors with younger performers, Netflix is building the new story around the passage of time.
That decision could give the sequel a different source of humour. The characters once struggled to accept the responsibilities of raising children; they must now confront ageing, changing friendships and the uncomfortable discovery that their children no longer need constant supervision.
Kyle Newacheck is directing the movie. His previous work with Sandler includes Murder Mystery and Happy Gilmore 2. Sandler and longtime collaborator Tim Herlihy wrote the screenplay and are also involved in producing the film.
The reunion strengthens the relationship between Netflix and Sandler’s Happy Madison production company. Their partnership has produced comedies, dramas and sequels designed around Sandler’s established international audience.
Reviving Grown Ups is commercially understandable because its concept depends less on an elaborate fictional universe than on the chemistry among its performers. The main attraction has always been watching familiar comedians behave like old friends who are simultaneously affectionate and relentlessly competitive.
However, the long interval creates a challenge. The filmmakers must preserve the relaxed ensemble humour that defined the earlier movies while developing a story strong enough to justify returning after more than a decade.
No trailer, premiere window or detailed plot has been released. The start of principal photography nevertheless confirms that the sequel has moved beyond development and is now becoming a finished production.
For viewers who grew up with the first two movies, Grown Ups 3 will offer a reunion with characters whose lives have advanced alongside their audience. The children are adults, the parents are older but there is little reason to expect any of them to behave more responsibly.
