Grown Ups 3 is officially in production, and New Jersey is once again playing host to Adam Sandler’s particular brand of low key local celebrity sightings. Netflix confirmed on August 6th that the long rumored threequel had begun filming in the state, more than thirteen years after Grown Ups 2 hit theaters, sharing a first look image of the reunited cast gathered around a dinner table with Sandler’s own caption capturing the mood simply: we missed you.

A Reunion Thirteen Years in the Making

The core five returning for the third film are exactly who fans would expect, Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider, the last of whom sat out Grown Ups 2 entirely, making his return here a genuine reunion of the original 2010 lineup rather than a continuation of the sequel’s roster. The film’s wives are back as well, with Salma Hayek Pinault, Maya Rudolph, and Maria Bello all confirmed, joined by a deep bench of franchise regulars including Steve Buscemi, Shaquille O’Neal, Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri, and Nick Swardson. New to the franchise are Julie Bowen, reuniting with Sandler after Happy Gilmore and Hubie Halloween, along with Deon Cole and Bailee Madison.

Behind the camera, the film is directed by Kyle Newacheck, who steered Sandler through last year’s Happy Gilmore 2 and is also known as a co-creator and co-star of the Comedy Central series Workaholics, along with his work producing and directing FX’s What We Do in the Shadows. The script comes from Sandler himself, co-written with longtime collaborator Tim Herlihy. According to reporting on the production, the film’s premise sends the group to Europe together to scatter the ashes of a friend who has died, a considerably more grounded, bittersweet setup than the group vacation framing that circulated in earlier plot speculation, though Netflix has not officially confirmed story details and the exact premise remains unconfirmed until the studio says otherwise.

Following the Production Around Morris County

New Jersey has become something of a recurring home base for Sandler’s recent Netflix projects, and Grown Ups 3 has followed a similar pattern to last year’s Happy Gilmore 2 shoot, moving through a rotating set of North and Central Jersey towns over the course of early August.

Sandler has continued his long standing habit of engaging directly with fans between takes, stopping to sign autographs and take photos around Madison and reportedly pausing during the Woodbridge shoot to greet local kids who gathered near the set. Director Newacheck has reportedly been living in Montclair for the duration of the shoot, giving him a home base within easy reach of the rotating filming locations spread across Morris, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties. Beyond New Jersey, production is expected to continue in Boston before the crew heads overseas to film additional scenes in Italy and France, rounding out what appears to be a considerably more geographically ambitious shoot than either of the first two films attempted.

When Fans Can Actually Watch It

Netflix has not yet announced an official release date, though Sandler has hinted in prior public appearances that a 2027 release window is likely, consistent with a production schedule that is expected to run through September in New Jersey alone before the international leg of the shoot begins. Grown Ups 3 will be produced in partnership with Sony Pictures and will release exclusively on Netflix, continuing the streaming first strategy the platform has used for Sandler’s recent output, including last year’s Happy Gilmore 2. For now, the most reliable way to track the film’s progress remains the one North Jersey residents have already been relying on all month, keeping an eye on which local road gets closed next.