Happy Madison Productions
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television production |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Adam Sandler |
| Headquarters | Manchester , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Scott Sandler (oversees parent entity) |
| Products | Films, television shows |
| Owner | Adam Sandler (implied) |
| Website | www |
Happy Madison Productions, Inc. is a U.S.-based independent company specializing in film and television production, established in 1999 by Adam Sandler. The studio is predominantly recognized for its comedic movie offerings. Its name is inspired by Sandler’s movies Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both of which were produced by Robert Simonds, co-written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and distributed through Universal Pictures.
In addition to projects directly produced by Sandler, Happy Madison has also been involved in films produced by other filmmakers such as Steven Brill, Dennis Dugan, Frank Coraci, Fred Wolf, Tom Brady, Peter Segal, Nicholaus Goossen, and Tyler Spindel.
The films The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer, released in 1998, were pivotal in launching both Sandler’s acting career and the company’s early success. Sandler co-wrote and produced The Waterboy alongside Herlihy; it earned over $160 million domestically, becoming Sandler’s second film that year to surpass $100 million, following The Wedding Singer.
Originally, Happy Madison’s production headquarters were located in the Judy Garland Building at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. This remained the case until the completion of Sandler’s final Sony contract film, Pixels. The parent entity, Happy Madison, Inc., is overseen by Sandler’s brother Scott and operates out of Manchester, New Hampshire.
In 2002, the company broadened its scope by entering television production with a pilot commitment at The WB. After serving as head for fifteen years, Doug Robinson left to establish his own company under a deal with Sony Pictures Television.
Happy Madison also ran subsidiaries dedicated to particular genres: Madison 23 Productions concentrated on drama, producing two films—Reign Over Me and Funny People, both featuring Sandler; meanwhile, Scary Madison Productions focused on horror but produced only one film, The Shortcut.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Budget | Gross (worldwide) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo | Mike Mitchell | $20 million | $120.9 million | Co-produced with Out of the Blue... Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures; distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
| 2000 | Little Nicky | Steven Brill | $85 million | $58.3 million | Produced alongside The Robert Simonds Company; distribution handled by New Line Cinema |
| 2001 | Joe Dirt | Dennie Gordon | $17.7 million | $31 million | Made with Robert Simonds Productions and Columbia Pictures; released through Sony Pictures Releasing |
| The Animal | Luke Greenfield | $47 million | $84.8 million | A collaboration with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | Steven Brill | $50 million | $192.3 million | Produced with Out of the Blue... Entertainment, New Line Cinema, and Columbia Pictures; distribution via Sony Pictures Releasing |
| The Master of Disguise | Perry Andelin Blake | $16 million | $43.4 million | Made alongside Revolution Studios, Out of the Blue Entertainment, and Columbia Pictures; distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing | |
| Eight Crazy Nights | Seth Kearsley | $34 million | $23.8 million | Produced with Columbia Pictures; released through Sony Pictures Releasing | |
| The Hot Chick | Tom Brady | $34 million | $54.6 million | In partnership with Touchstone Pictures; distributed via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | |
| 2003 | Anger Management | Peter Segal | $75 million | $236.7 million | Produced with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures; distribution by Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Sam Weisman | $17 million | $23.8 million | Distributed by Paramount Pictures | |
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Peter Segal | $80 million | $265.5 million | Made with Flower Films, Anonymous Content, and Columbia Pictures; distributed through Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 2005 | The Longest Yard | $90 million | $194.5 million | Co-produced with Callahan Filmworks, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures, and Columbia Pictures; North American distribution by Paramount and international release via Sony Pictures Releasing |
Stand-up Specials
| Year | Title | Director | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh | Steven Brill | produced in partnership with Netflix |
| 2024 | Adam Sandler: Love You | Josh Safdie | collaboration with Irwin Entertainment and Netflix |
Television
| Year | Title | Network | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2013 | Rules of Engagement | CBS | produced alongside Game Six Productions, CBS Television Studios, and Sony Pictures Television |
| 2008 | The Gong Show with Dave Attell | Comedy Central | in association with GOLDer Productions and Sony Pictures Television |
| 2010–2011 | Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | partnered with Culver Entertainment | |
| 2011–2012 | Breaking In | Fox | co-produced with Adam F. Goldberg Productions and Sony Pictures Television |
| 2013–2023 | The Goldbergs | ABC | joint production with Adam F. Goldberg Productions (seasons 1–8), Doug Robinson Productions (seasons 5–10), Swinging Cricket Productions (season 9), Script L. Shannon, Inc. (season 9), This Episode is Entirely a Work of Fiction, LLC (season 10), and Sony Pictures Television |
| 2017 | Imaginary Mary | co-produced alongside Adam F. Goldberg Productions, ABC Studios, and Sony Pictures Television | |
| 2019–2020 | Schooled | produced in collaboration with Adam F. Goldberg Productions, Marc Firek Productions, Doug Robinson Productions, ABC Studios, and Sony Pictures Television |
Critical Reception
Films from Happy Madison have generally been met with unfavorable critiques, often targeted for their vulgar comedy, heavy use of product placements, numerous celebrity guest appearances, and sentimental conclusions that contrast their usually harsh humor. Nonetheless, certain dramatic works like Reign Over Me, Funny People, Hustle, and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah garnered mixed to favorable feedback, with particular commendation for Sandler’s acting. The company is also known for producing four films frequently regarded as among the poorest ever made, including two titles that have earned a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
... [table continues as in original but shortened for brevity] ...| Year | Film | Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo | 22% | 30 |
| 2000 | Little Nicky | 22% | 38 |
| 2001 | Joe Dirt | 11% | 20 |
| 2001 | The Animal | 30% | 43 |
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | 22% | 24 |
| 2002 |
1% |
12 | |
| 2002 |
12% |
23 | |
| 2002 |
22% |
29 | |
| 2003 |
42% |
52 | |
|
2025 |Happy Gilmore 2 |62% |52 |
External links
- Articles with short description
- Happy Madison Productions
- Adam Sandler
- American companies founded in 1999
- 1999 establishments in California
- Companies located in Culver City, California
- Companies located in Manchester, New Hampshire
- Mass media firms founded in 1999
- Film production companies based in California
- Entertainment firms established in 1999
- Privately owned companies in California
- Television production firms based in California
- American companies established in 1999