Picture Credits: Getty Images
Following a massive year that included the critically acclaimed dramedy Jay Kelly and the streaming record-breaker Happy Gilmore 2, Adam Sandler is officially setting his next dramatic feature at Netflix.
Sandler is teaming up with acclaimed writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles, Netflix’s The Pale Blue Eye) for Time Out, a psychological family drama that has been quietly building momentum since the beginning of the year. With cameras rolling very soon, Netflix has assembled an incredible, star-studded ensemble cast.
Here is everything we know so far about Time Out on Netflix:
What is the plot of Time Out?
Time Out is an English-language remake of Laurent Cantet and Robin Campillo’s acclaimed 2001 French film L’Emploi du temps.
Scott Cooper is writing and directing the adaptation. According to official production listings and synopsis details, the film will explore themes of identity, work, and the toxic pressure of societal expectations.
Here is the full logline for the film:
“Vincent appears to happily spend his weeks on the road, busy with business trips and meetings. He shares vague details with his loving wife, Muriel, and their three children… But Vincent’s professional life is actually fictional. He hasn’t been able to tell his family and friends about losing his long-time consulting job weeks ago.
Vincent feels pressured into inventing a prestigious new job for himself in Geneva. Telling lies becomes a full-time occupation. To maintain his lost income, he desperately betrays even his friends that trust him in shady investment deals. All Vincent ever wanted was to call time out from a suffocating professional life, yet somehow allow his family’s life to continue as before. Now the ever-growing tension of Vincent’s world is quickly closing in. The expectations of a provincial community where your job is who you are. A former colleague’s insistent concern. A father’s overbearing desire for the best for his son.”
Speaking to Deadline, who reported the full cast in March 2026, about adapting the story, director Scott Cooper noted, “I first encountered Laurent Cantet’s film in 2001, and it’s lived with me ever since. I’ve been thinking about revisiting it for years, but now felt like the right moment — we’re living in a time where questions of identity, work, and self-worth have become impossible to ignore.”
Who is in the cast of Time Out?
Adam Sandler officially attached himself to the project at the top of 2026 and will be playing the lead role of Vincent. Sandler has called Netflix his primary home for over a decade, producing and starring in a slew of movies. This one appears to be more akin to the likes of Jay Kelly, Spaceman, or Hustle, where his acting talents, rather than producing ones, are on show.
Elsewhere, Sandler is hard at work on the sequel to Leo, not expected for another year or two. He was also attached to a Safdie project on baseball cards, although that’s thought to be on permanent ice. He’s also producing two movies set for release in 2026, each starring one of his daughters: Roommates, coming in April, and Don’t Say Good Luck, set for later this year.
Rounding out the cast:
- Willem Dafoe (Poor Things, Spider-Man)
- Gaby Hoffmann (C’mon C’mon, Transparent)
- F. Murray Abraham (The White Lotus, Amadeus)
- Steve Zahn (The White Lotus, George & Tammy)
- Adam Horovitz (Beastie Boys, While We’re Young)
Wait, what about Dustin Hoffman and Christian Bale? Before the official cast list dropped, there were some heavy rumors floating around. Christian Bale was reportedly being eyed for a role earlier in the development process, though it appears that didn’t pan out. However, recent Canadian production listings also cited two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman as part of the cast. It may be possible that the role eventually moved over to Willem Dafoe.
Casting was handled by Francine Maisler, Molly Rose, Corinne Clark, and Jennifer Page.
Who is behind the production?
Scott Cooper will serve as the film’s writer, director, and producer.
He is joined by veteran producer Jon Kilik (The Hunger Games, Foxcatcher) and Executive Producer Tracey Landon (Maestro). The film’s cinematography will be helmed by Masanobu Takayanagi, who previously collaborated with Cooper on Hostiles, Out of the Furnace, and The Pale Blue Eye.
When and where is Time Out filming?
Rumors of the project first began swirling in January 2026 when Canadian production listings suggested a spring shoot. Those reports have proven totally accurate.
According to recent listings, Time Out is currently in pre-production. Principal photography is scheduled to kick off on March 31, 2026, and wrap on May 30, 2026, though Deadline suggested the movie may begin in April.
Filming will take place primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with additional on-location shooting expected to take place in San Francisco, California.
Are you excited for Adam Sandler’s next dramatic turn? Let us know in the comments!
