Adam Sandler Storms Ridgewood, Turns Downtown Into 'Grown Ups 3' Set

Adam Sandler brought his cameras, his crew, and a fist bump or two to downtown Ridgewood this week, filming scenes for Grown Ups 3 more than 13 years after the last installment hit theaters. Local business owners and residents watched their commercial strip transform into a movie set as Sandler and his fellow cast members moved through town.

Ridgewood resident Theresa Jackson said she encountered Sandler during the shoot and came away with a fist bump from the star, according to Daily Voice. Fans gathered to greet Sandler as he moved between filming locations, and business owner Peter Petronzio said the production set up outside his office to shoot scenes. Pierre & Michel Authentic French Bakery, one of the local spots Sandler visited, publicly thanked him for stopping by.

A Multi-Town New Jersey Production

The Ridgewood stop is part of a much larger New Jersey shoot. Before arriving downtown, the Grown Ups 3 crew had already filmed across the Colonia section of Woodbridge, Morristown, Madison, and Maplewood, with plans to shoot in Keansburg as well, according to WMTR AM. In Ridgewood specifically, Sandler also filmed scenes inside Meltemi, a Greek restaurant on East Ridgewood Avenue, where he greeted more fans, per a report from Towns Of: Bergen County. A local resident said Bareburger was also used for filming in town.

Per the same resident, Sandler was not alone. Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade were all spotted around Ridgewood during the shoot. Grown Ups 3 reunites the original ensemble, including Rob Schneider, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, and Salma Hayek Pinault, more than a decade after the last film sent them across the country's box offices.

Why Ridgewood Keeps Getting the Call

This is not Sandler's first time bringing a production to Ridgewood. His company, Happy Madison Productions, previously filmed there during the summer of 2025 for the Netflix project Don't Say Good Luck, according to New Jersey 101.5. Ridgewood is within easy driving distance of New York City, and the state's tax incentives sweeten the deal further. New Jersey offers production companies a transferable tax credit of 30% to 35% on qualified local expenses, with legislation extended through 2049 requiring a minimum in-state spend of $1 million or 60% of total production costs, per Shamel Studio.

From Sony Theaters to Netflix Streaming

Grown Ups 3 marks a significant shift for the franchise, moving from Sony Pictures theatrical releases to a direct-to-streaming Netflix release. Kyle Newacheck, who previously directed Sandler in Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2, is taking the reins as director, WMTR AM reports. Sandler co-wrote the script alongside Tim Herlihy, who also co-wrote the installment. Netflix has not announced a release date for the film.

The plot follows the group of friends traveling to Europe to scatter the ashes of a deceased friend after their children have grown, according to WMTR AM's coverage of the production. It marks the first plot detail released for the franchise since 2013. Principal photography began July 6 and is scheduled to wrap October 14, with production spanning New Jersey, Boston, Italy, and France, according to MovieWalks.

A Franchise With Staying Power Despite the Reviews

Critics have never been kind to the Grown Ups movies. Both 2010's Grown Ups and 2013's Grown Ups 2 scored under 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, yet the pair earned nearly $520 million combined at the global box office — $272.2 million and $247 million, respectively, according to figures cited by WMTR AM. That commercial success reportedly prompted Sandler to gift Maserati cars to his primary co-stars after the first film's earnings came in.

The appetite for the franchise hasn't faded with age. Grown Ups 2 surged to the No. 1 spot on Netflix's U.S. movie chart in July 2025, 12 years after its theatrical debut, and drove the 2010 original back into the platform's Top 10, according to FandomWire. That streaming resurgence helped pave the way for Netflix greenlighting a third installment, following its official announcement of the project during the company's Upfronts presentation in May.

The franchise carries some somber history as well. Former actor Alec Musser, who played the Water Park Stud in the original 2010 film, died at age 50 in Del Mar, California, in January 2024, a case Hoodline covered in a report on his death. Sandler posted a public tribute praising Musser following his passing, underscoring the tight bonds among the ensemble cast now reuniting for a third round.