Amy Schumer Needs An Adam Sandler-Sized Netflix Deal

Amy Schumer’s new movie, I Feel Pretty, was plagued with negative press before any critic or member of the general public even saw a moment of the film. The trailer ignited a slew of internet backlash which spawned a press tour that found Schumer defending the topic of the film and speaking non-stop about body image and confidence. She did her best to reassure journalists that there’s a positive message in this movie, one that would mean a lot, especially to women young and not so young, and encouraged fans to take a chance on it.

Meanwhile, Adam Sandler has a new film, The Week Of, premiering this Friday on Netflix. He will most likely spend his week popping up on one red carpet and a couple of late night shows in his signature brand of athleisure wear and cracking jokes sure to have Jimmy Fallon bent over his desk in a fit of giggles. Topics unlikely to come up for him include his confidence, his movie’s messages, or its ratings.

So what’s the point of comparing Schumer and Sandler? Well, it’s because Schumer should be the next one to pick up one of those cool Netflix deals just the way Sandler has. In 2014, he signed a deal with the streaming giant to make four films for the platform; last year, he signed on to make four more. While the amount of money he’s making has not been disclosed, it’s safe to say he’s raking in millions of dollars to make movies with his pals – the same kind of movies that were dwindling on their return at the box office a few short years ago.

So while Schumer is swatting away headlines such as “Amy Schumer’s I Feel Pretty Tracking to Open Behind Trainwreck, Snatched” which is intended to convey that she’s slipping or not as popular, at a time when she’s promoting a movie about feeling good about yourself no matter what, she could and should be coasting towards a film opening where none of that is even disclosed in the first place.

The similarities between Sandler and Schumer are certainly present. Both have proven to make films that are funny and heartfelt, and neither is making movies that require a theater viewing. These aren’t CGI-heavy, box office-necessary flicks, and dear god let’s hope it stays that way. Sandy Wexler can be watched on any size screen, if any at all. And Snatched is a great movie to flip on while looking for something a bit mindless on a Saturday night. They both have their moments, and they both made millions of people laugh. But while Sandler’s past release was discovered online, Schumer’s was panned online, with harsh reviews and comparisons of box office dollars to her first feature.

I Feel Pretty is the kind of film I would press play on the day of its release if it were streaming, either from my bed with sweatpants securely fastened, or even from my couch, with gal pals gathered around and a glass of wine securely fastened. One watch of the trailer confirmed it would be a film I 100% wanted to see. But clearing time in my schedule gets harder and harder the more my streaming queues pile up, and especially for films that aren’t phenomenons like Black Panther.

While Schumer will continue to polarize audiences, a sweet Netflix deal would be the perfect avenue for both her and the streaming company. Now that she’s slowing down a bit, after going full speed on her career for years and then dealing with health issues that put things into perspective for the actress and comedian, a Netflix deal would allow her to put out one film a year, or a comedy special when she chooses. This would come with limited press and promotion for it, as nearly all of their original movies seem to. Plus, we can finally say goodbye to all the articles examining her box office and ratings draw, because those are frequently pessimistic and frankly quite boring.

Whether viewers watch with the intention of laughing or scoffing, they’ll be more likely to tune into anything Schumer-produced on Netflix. For the fans: it’s accessible, and for the haters: it’s at no additional cost. She’s already got a relationship with Netflix, and one that let the platform know she’d be getting paid what she’s worth — which is a lot. It doesn’t matter how willingly anyone wants to admit it, it’s a fact that Schumer has done more for females, comedy, and yes, females in comedy than the average talent. I’ve avoided calling her “the next Adam Sandler” here because she’s not — she’s her own person and creator, and one that Netflix should step up and work with in a big way.

Where to watch Trainwreck