Adam Sandler Says Netflix Asked Him to Change China Setting in Movie

Adam Sandler has revealed that Netflix asked him to rewrite his upcoming film so that it was not set in China. 

In an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show," the actor and director explained that Netflix put forth the request as its streaming service was not available in the Asian country. In the end, Sandler changed the location of his sports comedy "Hustle," which is about a failing basketball agent who recruits an overseas player to the NBA, to Spain. 

"It was written originally that I find a player in China and somehow, Netflix is not in China. So they were like, 'Would you guys please make it so we find someone in Latin America or Europe?'" Sandler said. 

"So the next thing you know, I'm in Majorca," he added.

Netflix has seen massive success in other parts of Asia, including Japan, however, it remains unavailable in China. While the country is the second-largest economy after the U.S., Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told CNBC last year that the company was not overly concerned about cracking the Chinese market. 

"We got turned down by the Chinese government several years ago. And we have not been spending any time on China in the last couple years," Hastings said. "There’s so much opportunity for us in Asia, the rest of Asia — India, in particular, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and then all through Europe and Latin America," he continued. 

"It’s a pity from a long-term perspective of the U.S. and Chinese disengagement," Hastings added of the frostiness of the relationship between the U.S. and China. "But there’s nothing we can do about that. And instead, we’re focusing on entertaining everybody else."

While having to relocate filming from China to Spain may have unhinged certain plans, the move did open the door for real-life NBA basketball player Juancho Hernangómez to make his acting debut alongside Sandler. The Memphis Grizzlies forward now plays the promising athlete Sandler recruits and his acting skills are on par with his athletic abilities.

"He acts better than me in every scene," Sandler said on "The Dan Patrick Show." "It's just like, goddammit, this guy is falling, crying in the middle of a scene, doing the right thing. Every joke he says, I'm like, 'He said it smoother than I would have.'"

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