Sophia Michaels
Chris Rock’s next comedy special will stream live on Netflix early next year. The comedian’s stand-up set will mark the streaming giant’s first parlay into the live-streaming arena, potentially setting the stage for any number of other programs to do the same. No pressure or anything.
“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” Robbie Praw, Netflix vice president of stand-up and comedy formats, said in a statement. Rock’s last collaboration with Netflix, the stand-up special Chris Rock: Tambourine, was released straight-to-streaming in February 2018.
Praw added: “We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
Rock has been testing out new material all year during his Ego Death world tour, which he kicked off in April – just after the Oscars Slapgate incident, in which Will Smith stormed the stage to slap the comedian following a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. The viral moment worked its way into his tour set within a couple of shows.
“Everybody is trying to be a fucking victim,” Rock said during his routine. “If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith… I went to work the next day, I got kids.”
He added: “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.”
Rock hasn’t spoken at length about the Academy Awards incident beyond touching on it mostly in passing during the tour. Maybe he’s been saving the boundless wealth of material for a special event – and it doesn’t get more special than potentially launching Netflix into a new streaming stratosphere.
