Pencil it in: Grown Ups 3 likely hits Netflix summer 2027, says Chris Rock

Break out your folding chairs and prepare yourself for a wave of dad jokes: Grown Ups 3 is officially happening. After what feels like a decade of speculation and Adam Sandler doing absolutely everything except another round of water park mayhem, the third film in the sprawling man-child franchise is finally back in business – and we’ve even got a rough release window.

Chris Rock, on his recent Tonight Show appearance with Jimmy Fallon, summed up the mood on set: "We are shooting Grown Ups 3 right now. It'll be out probably next summer. We're all back together. It's really funny, man. Like, we're having a great time. It's fun hanging out with everybody."

Shooting, Release, and a Little Brutal Honesty

If you’ve been wondering when the world might receive another gift of middle-aged slapstick, Rock says production is well underway, and barring disaster, you can expect Grown Ups 3 to drop in cinemas or at least on Netflix by next summer. That’s 2027, for anyone who’s lost track. Sandler’s squad has apparently moved their base of operations to New Jersey this time, with filming nearly wrapped already.

Now, here’s where Rock – never shy about calling things as he sees them – dropped a typically sharp observation on the realities of career arcs in Hollywood. He riffed on the idea that none of the Grown Ups stars are kidding themselves about landing the next Martin Scorsese epic:

He told Fallon, "You're at that point in your career where you realize Scorsese's not calling, you know. So you have that extra focus. Like, when you're in the middle of your career, you just think at any moment... somebody big is gonna call. Like, I'm dealing with you right now. But as soon as Spielberg calls, I'm gonna tell you to kiss my ass."

Who’s Back, Who’s New, and Exactly How Many Sandlers This Time?

So, who exactly is returning for this new round of banter, pratfalls and strictly-for-the-paycheque hijinks? The usual suspects all return: Adam Sandler (who’ll no doubt bring his reliable twist of self-deprecating pathos), Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, and Salma Hayek Pinault. Rob Schneider — yes, even him — is back in the line-up, too.

On top of the core lot, there’s a small army of recurring faces and fresh blood. Here’s the new-and-very-familiar roster:

• Julie Bowen (franchise debut)
• Deon Cole (franchise debut)
• Bailee Madison (franchise debut)
• Jackie Sandler (returning)
• Shaquille O'Neal (returning, of course)
• Colin Quinn (returning)
• Tim Meadows (returning)
• Cheri Oteri (returning)
• Ellen Cleghorne (returning)
• Nick Swardson (returning – predictably up for some public humiliation)

So if you’re a fan of the usual Sandler-verse cameos, rest easy. It’s very much the same dinner party, just with a couple of new neighbours dropped in for good measure.

Premise and the Script Team

Now, about the film’s actual plot: the logline is pretty on the nose. The kids are now proper adults, which apparently frees up the grown-ups for some unspecified "ultimate adventure"—if that means anything more than Sandler getting hit in the crotch by garden furniture, I’ll be surprised. Still, the writing team is as familiar as the cast: Sandler is co-writing alongside Tim Herlihy, who’s basically his right-hand man going all the way back to Saturday Night Live and the mid-90s run of Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison and, yes, the previous Grown Ups debacles.

Grown Ups 3 aims for a summer 2027 release window.

All being well, we’ll soon get to see if another round of Sandler and company on the big screen (or Netflix) is nostalgia, wish fulfilment… or just an excuse for a lot of paid holidays in tracksuits.