The $272M Adam Sandler Comedy Critics Dismissed Is Now Dominating Paramount+
Critics scoffed, audiences showed up: Adam Sandler’s 2010 comedy Grown Ups turned a $75 million budget into $272 million — and now the much-maligned hit is back in the spotlight.
Adam Sandler’s 2010 chaos-fest Grown Ups just popped back into the conversation again. Not because critics suddenly changed their minds, but because people are actually watching it. A lot.
Streaming check-in: it’s charting again
Per FlixPatrol, Grown Ups jumped to No. 3 on the Paramount+ Top 10 in the U.S. as of November 7, 2025. And because the internet loves symmetry, Grown Ups 2 also slipped into the rankings at No. 10. For a movie that got raked over the coals by critics, that’s a pretty loud encore.
Quick refresher on what this movie actually is
- Release: 2010 comedy about five childhood friends reuniting after their basketball coach dies, spending Fourth of July weekend together, and immediately proving that age does not automatically equal maturity.
- Director: Dennis Dugan
- Writers: Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf
- Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 10% (yep)
- Audience vibe at the time: kinder than the critics — not a classic, but clearly watchable for a lot of people
- Box office: over $272 million worldwide on a $75 million budget
It is not pretending to be deep. The whole thing runs on dumb gags, dad energy, and cast chemistry. Sometimes the jokes land, sometimes they thud, and somehow that’s part of the charm.
Why it keeps getting rewatched
Nostalgia is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Sandler’s comedies are hit-or-miss, but this era in particular has a warm, summer-cookout feel that streaming audiences are clearly in the mood for. In a landscape stacked with heavy dramas and prestige fare, a breezy backyard comedy is an easy press-play.
About that Grown Ups 3 chatter
The franchise’s commercial track record plus this new streaming bump keeps sequel talk alive. Kevin James (Eric Lamonsoff) told The Direct that there may actually be movement. His tease:
"I think there have been. And I think, yeah, I think you can keep hope alive. I can say that. I would keep a lot of hope alive. And I think it's happening - something's happening. I can say that."
Not an official greenlight, but it has been 12 years since Grown Ups 2 (2013), and the timing lines up with the broader trend of 2000s/2010s comedies getting rediscovered on streaming. If the numbers keep popping, expect the conversations to get louder.
Where to watch
Grown Ups is currently streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.