James says that the first version of the 2009 comedy had people “panicked.” Then Sandler stepped in.

Kevin James credits Adam Sandler for saving Paul Blart: Mall Cop: ‘Thought my career was over’

James says that the first version of the 2009 comedy had people "panicked." Then Sandler stepped in.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 5, 2026 10:49 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Adam Sandler and Kevin James at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. Credit:

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Fans of 2009 comedy *Paul Blart: Mall Cop* have Adam Sandler to thank for the film's success — at least its star Kevin James thinks so.

"He saved me. He made my movie *Mall Cop*. I would never have gotten that made," James said this week on *The Drew Barrymore Show*. "He made it happen."

James not only starred in but also cowrote and coproduced the 2009 comedy about a mall security guard who finds himself in a situation where he must become a hero. Sandler, who was already a blockbuster movie star, was also a producer.**

As James recalled, the star of movies such as *Happy Gilmore* and *Big Daddy* worked his magic on it.**

"We shot it, and we edited it. And you know what it's like seeing the first cut of a movie," James told Barrymore. "It's horrendous."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Especially this time, at least for James, who'd already worked with Sandler in movies such as *I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry*.**

"I thought my career was over," James recalled. "And we were so panicked. Adam goes, 'Relax, buddy. Let me check it out.' He looked at it. He let areas breathe, and he just knew what to do with it. And he made the movie that was. It was just amazing."

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' stars Kevin James.

Moviestore/Shutterstock

With an impressive $183 million worldwide haul on a relatively modest $26 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo, *Paul Bart: Mall Cop* was successful enough to spawn a sequel, 2015's *Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2*. Kevin has since starred in his own series, *Kevin Can Wait*, and numerous films, including *Grown Ups* and its sequel with Sandler, 2012's *Here Comes the Boom*, and *Playdate* in 2025.

James agreed with Barrymore, who's also frequently worked with Sandler, that the actor is "the greatest."**

"Everything he does, I listen," James said. "I just follow him."

Kevin James thought pal Ray Romano's sitcom had no chance because he's so 'low-energy'

Kevin James says he and Alan Ritchson 'would compare abs' on set of 'Playdate': See exclusive first look

In fact, James worked on *50 First Dates*, the 2004 romantic comedy that featured both Sandler and Barrymore, who has worked with Sandler multiple times.

Barrymore said that she'd first collaborated with Sandler after repeatedly calling him.**

The *Charlie's Angels* star wanted to meet with him, she said, because she thought they were supposed to "make many movies" together and be like "the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn of their day," but "not graceful and cool."

That's when Sandler told her that he's been working on something that eventually became their 1998 romantic comedy *The Wedding Singer*.

James was promoting a new film, *Solo Mio*, about a groom stranded in Rome after a wedding disaster. The romantic comedy opens Friday.

*The Drew Barrymore Show* airs weekdays. Check local listings.

- Comedy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”