Crackle to Make ‘Joe Dirt’ Sequel

Sony’s over-the-top network Crackle announced Friday that it will partner with Happy Madison Productions on a sequel to the 2001 comedy film Joe Dirt. David Spade is set to return as the title character.

Production is scheduled to begin in November, with the movie slated to premiere on Crackle in 2015.

“David Spade had a fresh and unique vision for ‘Joe Dirt 2’ that he could have brought anywhere and we couldn’t be happier that he brought it to Crackle for a first-of-its-kind, worldwide release,” said Eric Berger, general manager of Crackle and executive VP of digital networks for Sony. The original Columbia Pictures film, he added, “has been a longtime viewer favorite, ranking among the most viewed in our library, and we decided to produce and distribute the sequel as a feature for fans everywhere.”

News of the deal comes one week after rival digital service Netflix announced a four-picture deal with Happy Madison founder Adam Sandler.