Adam Sandler’s 1998 sports comedyThe Waterboyis one of the divisive comedians more fondly remembered movies. Though he did not appear in the movie himself, frequent Sandler collaborator Kevin James was recently asked which of his pal’s characters he would most like to see receive a spin-off, with James quickly calling forThe Waterboyto make a comeback.
“Oh, Bobby Boucher. 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.”
Bobby Boucheris, of course, the protagonist ofThe Waterboy. Played by Sandler, who employs one of his typically ridiculous voices for the role, Bobby is raised by his overprotective mother, Helen. Bobby is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu, but when Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein. After witnessing Bobby tap into a deeply hidden rage and beat up a player who teased him, Klein adds Bobby to the roster as a linebacker, which suddenly raises the failing team to championship contenders.
Directed by Frank Coraci and starringAdam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Fairuza Balk, Henry Winkler, Jerry Reed, Larry Gilliard, Jr., Blake Clark, Peter Dante, and Jonathan Loughran,The Waterboywas mauled by critics upon release but has since becomea solid fan-favorite. Despite the quite savage criticism of the movie at the time,The Waterboywas extremely profitable, earning $39.4 million in its opening weekend alone in the United States, and going on to earn a total of $190 million worldwide. Of course, money talks, and so while there is no hint of any sequel other than in Kevin James' wildest fantasies, it is not completely beyond the realms of possibility. No doubt fans ofThe Waterboyare in absolute agreement with James and would love to see Bobby Boucher return to screens for a follow-up.
Sandler has been asked about potential sequels in the past, specificallyBilly MadisonandHappy Gilmore, but the Saturday Night Live star sounds hesitant to bring any of his beloved characters back. “I don’t think about it, but those two [films] - I loved doing them,” Sandler said. “They’re big ideas. Going back to school was fun for Billy, and then Happy Gilmore playing golf - there’s something there. I don’t know. We’ll see. I doubt it, though.”
Kevin James, for his part, has starred alongside Sandler many times over the years, starting with the romantic comedyI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larryin 2007. Since then, the duo have teamed up on a variety of projects includingPixels,Hotel Transylvania,Zookeeper, and theGrown Upsfranchise.
James is set to appear in Adam Sandler’s new movieHubie Halloween, alongside several other stars who are often seen in Sandler fare. The movie follows Sandler as Hubie Dubois, who thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbor have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, it’s up to Hubie to convince the police and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them.Hubie Halloweenscheduled to be released on Netflix on June 15, 2025. This comes to us courtesy ofCinemablend.
