Kevin Hart Lands A Deal At Netflix To Produce And Star In Four Moves
Comedian Kevin Hart already has quite a presence on Netflix, but it's about to get even bigger with a new first-look film production deal with his HartBeat Production. Following in the footsteps of Adam Sandler, the Jumanji franchise star will produce and star in four new movies that will be available exclusively on Netflix.
Variety has news on the Kevin Hart Netflix movie deal that includes four films. Presumably that deal will continue to expand as time goes on, much like Adam Sandler's deal has grown over the years, but it will likely depend on the streaming performance of whatever Kevin Hart and his production company come up with. Hart said in a statement:
"Partnering with Netflix is an amazing opportunity for HartBeat and myself. I am excited to act in and produce cutting edge films with Netflix. I am extremely grateful to Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber, we share the same creative vision and always put the audience first. This business is about growth and my HartBeat team continues to exceed my expectations with their ability to develop stories and relationships. Our goal is to make the HartBeat name synonymous with first-class entertainment and narratives."
It's been said that you haven't made it until you get your own Netflix special, even though the streaming service seems to be handing those out like candy on Halloween. But getting a movie deal with Netflix is much harder, and you really need to have a big audience to make it happen. Hart certainly has that following with two theatrically released comedy specials under his belt, not to mention all the blockbuster comedies he's starred in throughout his career.
Hart's presence on Netflix is already solid. In addition to comedy specials like Zero F*cks Given and Irresponsible produced by the streaming service, you'll also find What Now and I'm a Grown Little Man available on the service right now. There's also a documentary series called Kevin Hart: Don't F**k this up that follows the comedian's career for a year, including a pivotal moment when he was at the center of controversy after being hired to host the Oscars and then fired after some questionable posts on Twitter came to light. It's a great glimpse behind the scenes of what Hart deals with on a daily basis and what makes him one of the hardest working comedians in Hollywood.
For their part, Scott Stuber, head of original films at Netflix, said in a statement:
"Netflix has enjoyed a long relationship with Kevin and we've been lucky enough to partner with him many times. He's a hands-on producer and it's been great to watch him build an incredible company with HartBeat. There are very few artists who can attract audiences of all ages and succeed in making comedies, dramas and family films. We're excited to partner with Kevin, and his great team at Hartbeat, to entertain our audience for years to come."
Here's hoping that what Kevin Hart puts out on Netflix ends up being better than most of the nonsense that Adam Sandler has been giving to the streaming service. Hart's track record on the big screen has been moderately better than Sandler over the past decade, so maybe he can keep the trend going at Netflix.