The Big Picture

Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan discuss their romantic space drama, “Spaceman,” their working relationship, and upcoming projects.
Mulligan reveals her admiration for Sandler and the opportunity to work with him, praising his film “The Wedding Singer.”
The actors share insights into the making of “Spaceman,” including Mulligan filming while pregnant and incorporating her children’s sounds into the film.

Shortly after it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, Collider’s Steve Weintraub spoke with Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan, stars of the new romantic space drama, Spaceman. Directed by Johan Renck (Chernobyl), the film follows Jakub (Sandler) on his solo mission to the Chopra Cloud, a mysterious purple nebula. While floating aimlessly around his ship, dealing with loneliness and the fear that his relationship with his pregnant wife (Mulligan) on Earth is falling apart, Jakub meets a bizarre stowaway (voiced by Paul Dano) who accompanies him on his emotional journey.

Ahead of its Netflix release, Sandler and Mulligan sat down to chat about this opportunity to work together, something Mulligan says she’d always hoped for but never expected, how they both got attached to the project, and why production for this movie was so special for Mulligan. They talk about their team-up with the streaming giant, which of Sandler’s movies Mulligan recommends, and an upcoming stand-up special Sandler currently has in the works. You can watch the full interview in the video above, or read the transcript below.

Spaceman Jakub Procházka, orphaned as a boy and raised in the Czech countryside by his grandparents, overcomes his odds to become the country’s first astronaut.Release Date March 1, 2024 Director Johan Renck Runtime 107 minutes Writers Colby Day , Jaroslav Kalfar Studio Netflix

Read Our ‘Spaceman’ Review

COLLIDER: I like throwing some curveballs at the beginning. You both have been lucky enough to work in this industry for a long time. It’s winning the actor’s lottery. It’s amazing. When did it hit you, “Wait, I don’t have to stress about my next job. I think I’m gonna book something even if I don’t work for six months?”

ADAM SANDLER: That’s a great question. Have you hit that yet?

CAREY MULLIGAN: [Laughs] I’m not there yet.

SANDLER: We’re both not 100% there.

MULLIGAN: I mean, you must be.

SANDLER: I can get some stuff done, but I’m no guarantee.

MULLIGAN: You can maybe get a job but it’s not the job you want. I don’t know, I think you always feel a bit like there’s no guarantee.

SANDLER: There’s no complete confidence.

Image via Netflix

I heard you have a deal with Netflix, so I’m gonna say that you probably can get things made.

SANDLER: Well, they are kind to me, and they’re very kind to you.

MULLIGAN: Yeah, we’re both, yeah.

SANDLER: We’re doubling down on this.

MULLIGAN: We’re like brand ambassadors at this point.

SANDLER: Yes. Exactly. Do you have Netflix?

MULLIGAN: I do have Netflix.

SANDLER: Of course you do. Do you watch it a lot?

MULLIGAN: Do you have Netflix?

SANDLER: I sure do, and it goes on immediately.

MULLIGAN: I watch it every day.

SANDLER: [Laughs] Yeah, me too. It keeps you connected. No, but Netflix, I have to say, when I’m going through the clicking and what to choose, quickest reaction every time on my clicker. I go on Netflix — tudum — and go through the things. The others ones, sometimes there’s a massive delay and I get frustrated and go, “Might as well watch one of my movies again.”

MULLIGAN: Do you get offered your movies as your You Might Like?

SANDLER: I mean, I guess I do. [Laughs] It’s been told I like my stuff.

I will switch and say if you haven seen Leo it’s fantastic.

SANDLER: What’s the matter with you? You didn’t see it yet?

MULLIGAN: My kids have seen it, and they loved it.

Image via Netflix

SANDLER: Where were you, not watching?

MULLIGAN: I was sleeping, probably. You know, getting some rest. Wonderful parenting.

SANDLER: Double feature: Zone of Interest straight into Leo.

MULLIGAN: That’s it.

I read that you watched all of Adam’s movies prior to filming this, so I am curious, if someone has never seen Adam’s work, besides Spaceman, what’s the first thing they should watch and why?

SANDLER: Ooh, good question.

MULLIGAN: The Wedding Singer.

SANDLER: Thank you.

MULLIGAN: I think The Wedding Singer. I didn’t watch every single movie, I wasn’t like a crazy person, but my husband and I were like, “Let’s…” I’ve always been a massive fan, but I didn’t know. I was like, “Oh god, if I meet him and he’s not cool or nice, then it’ll ruin all of his films for me because I’ll view them through a different lens.” So I was like, “I’m gonna watch them one more time. Just enjoy.” And then I met him and he was the greatest. But The Wedding Singer just kills me. I just think he’s genius.

SANDLER: Wow, thank you.

MULLIGAN: And obviously the normals, like Punch Drunk Love. But The Wedding Singer, I think, is everything in that film.

Related How ‘The Wedding Singer’ Changed Adam Sandler’s Career Yes, “Somebody Kill Me Please” and “Grow Old With You” are bangers, but Sandler’s ‘The Wedding Singer’ is so much more than that.

SANDLER: I’m taking it, Carey. I’m taking that compliment.

MULLIGAN: Take it.

SANDLER: I got about 30 I can give back.

I would like to hear.

MULLIGAN: No, don’t. Don’t, don’t.

SANDLER: I won’t do it, but every actor who watches Carey goes, “Whoa, now that was pretty authentic.” Maestro, by the way. Wow.

MULLIGAN: It’s a Netflix production, don’t ya know?

SANDLER: [Laughs] That’s where I saw it. No, I didn’t. I saw it on the thing where they give you a bunch of the screeners, so I saw it like that. So I didn’t give Netflix my business that day. I just kept it to us. She’s a 12 in that, but you literally could look at a million. I don’t know, I don’t wanna just say one movie and not the other. They’re all amazing. She’s pretty natural, real, always on the money, shockingly great. She’s very good in Spaceman. You see Spaceman?

Image via Netflix

I did see Spaceman, hence the reason I get to be here today. I’m gonna say something I’m sure you’ve heard a number of times: you’re both kind of good actors.

SANDLER: I luck into it. She knows what she’s doing.

I’m gonna respectfully disagree. I think that you have demonstrated over the years an amazing ability as an actor and going from genre to genre in surprising ways.

SANDLER: You can edit me into a movie fine. Carey, the angles are all workin’.

Let’s move on and say that you’re a really good actor.

SANDLER: Excellent. [To Mulligan] And you’re the master.

MULLIGAN: [Laughs] Let’s end it there.

Carey Mulligan Says ‘Spaceman’ Was a Triple Threat Offer

Jumping into why I get to talk to you, I know you guys are both offered scripts, what was it about this one that said, “I need to do this one?”

MULLIGAN: Adam was in it. Honestly. It was Adam Sandler, who I always wanted to work with obviously, but I didn’t ever think that that would be a possibility. And then Johan Renck, who had done Chernobyl. I had seen Chernobyl and thought, “This was the most incredible, amazing piece of television.” Then, I obviously read the script and just loved it. I just thought it was so romantic.

SANDLER: It is very romantic.

MULLIGAN: So, yeah, sort of a triple threat.

SANDLER: Devastation, losing real love.

For soon to be fans of the film, what do you think would surprise them to learn about the making of this one?

SANDLER: It took a while. We shot it all over the place. We shot in New York, then we went to Prague. Then I had to do a little LA. You did a little LA.

MULLIGAN: I did a little LA, too. Oh, I was very pregnant when we shot. I was actually really pregnant.

SANDLER: Oh, that’s right.

MULLIGAN: Oh, that’s fun! That’s my real stomach in the film, my real baby inside. And I was obsessed with trying to get the baby to kick so that Johan could shoot it, so I was like, “Give me water. I’m gonna drink something really cold, and then you’ll see a little.” Because you could see, but we didn’t get it. But that is my real stomach.

I didn’t know that. That must be cool, though, that for the rest of your life you can see yourself. It’s capturing that moment.

MULLIGAN: Well, my children, the sound of them is in the film because I did ADR at my house when my baby was tiny and she screamed. Johan was like, “That’s great. I’ll have that.” And then my other children were in the background, and he was like, “I’ll use that.” So they’re all mixed in.

SANDLER: Are they in the beginning?

MULLIGAN: Yeah.

SANDLER: That’s so great.

Adam Sandler Is Teaming Up With Netflix for Another Stand-Up Special
Image via Netflix

Do you guys know what you’re filming this year?

SANDLER: I don’t have a clue. I’m doing a comedy special right now.

MULLIGAN: Are you?

SANDLER: Yes, yes, yes. It’s a stand-up special. I shot some last night until very late.

MULLIGAN: That’s very exciting.

SANDLER: Yes. I was shooting a very odd opening for the special. It should be alright. How about you?

MULLIGAN: I am completely unemployed.

SANDLER: We gotta find you something.

MULLIGAN: Yeah, I got no job.

SANDLER: You’re nervous, huh? A nervous wreck?

MULLIGAN: Feeling a little bit nervous.

I think you’ll both land on your feet. Where is the special gonna air?

SANDLER: Oh, it’s Netflix. [Laughs] Netflix, man.

That is a shocker.

SANDLER: I wanna give them one more shot. I’m gonna give them one more shot.

Spaceman is available to steam on Netflix.

Watch on Netflix