Hustle Teaser: Adam Sandler Gets Serious In Netflix Basketball Drama

Adam Sandler and professional basketball players made for a volatile combination in the Safdie Brothers' "Uncut Gems," a film that has provided the world with so many useful memes and quotes. (Kevin Garnett exasperatedly yelling, "Why the f*** would you show me something if I can't have it?" being a personal favorite of mine.) Now, The Sandman is back with another basketball-centric movie, this time in the form of a proper sports drama titled "Hustle."

Sandler stars in "Hustle" as a washed-up basketball scout who gets a second shot at success when he happens upon a promising amateur ball-player (real-life NBA athlete Juancho Hernangómez) overseas in Spain, prompting him to bring the could-be superstar back to the States in the hopes of making it into the NBA. The film was included in Netflix's big 2022 movie preview but has since gotten an official teaser trailer and a firm release date to boot.

Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Ainhoa Pillet, Raul Castillo, Jordan Elizabeth Hull, Maria Botto, Heidi Gardner, and Robert Duvall are among those joining Sandler and Hernangómez in the "Hustle" cast. Behind the camera, Sandler also produced the film with LeBron James (among many others), with Jeremiah Zagar directing from a script credited to Will Fetters (the 2018 "A Star Is Born") and Taylor Materne ("Dominoes"). The movie's official synopsis reads as follows:

After discovering a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad, a down on his luck basketball scout (Adam Sandler) takes it upon himself to bring the phenom to the States without his team's approval. Against the odds, they have one final shot to prove they have what it takes to make it in the NBA.

Zagar, for those not familiar, is a seasoned documentarian who made his narrative feature helming debut with the critically-acclaimed drama "We the Animals" in 2018. He seems to have carried his documentary filmmaking sensibilities over to "Hustle" (judging by the teaser), and it looks like the movie's "Rocky"-stye underdog story will be all the better served by his grounded visual approach.

Beyond that, I'm always happy when Sandler gets a hankering to make another "Punch-Drunk Love," "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)," or "Uncut Gems," and it looks like "Hustle" may yet join that list of the actor's all-too-rare prestigious offerings. You go get your Oscar, Sandman!

"Hustle" begins streaming June 10, 2022, on Netflix.