Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos gave reporters a bunch of updates at TCA in Los Angeles today, and when it came to the recent controversy around Adam Sandler’s upcoming film The Ridiculous Six – especially after Sandler’s Sony movie Pixels bombed at the box office over the weekend – Sarandos was quick to defend Sandler prior to the premiere of Ridiculous Six, which is the first of Sandler’s four-movie deal with the streaming network. “We did our deal with Adam Sandler because he is an enormous international movie star. We are as encouraged as ever … I don’t feel I have to defend Adam Sandler,†Sarandos told reporters, adding that he feels “thrilled†about the four-movie deal despite the all the negative Ridiculous Six press. “When people see Ridiculous Six, the show will speak for itself. When the movie comes out, people will see it’s fair.â€
As for the latest Arrested Development news, Sarandos said he’s “plugging along†for another season but it’s still in the development process. “It’s a really long, complex deal to make for these guys because talent is busy working on other shows and the show is owned by Fox,†he said. “It is our intent to have a new season of Arrested Development, and all the negotiations are underway.†The last Arrested update came back in June when Brian Grazer confirmed that 17 more episodes were in the works, but it’s unclear whether the new season is still on track for a May 2016 release.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what Sarandos’s thoughts are about whether or not we’ll ever see Bill Cosby’s canceled Netflix standup special, here’s what he had to say: “I don’t think it’s appropriate to release that … We think we have continued to act appropriately when it comes to Mr. Cosby.†Good idea.