Chris Rock Signs $40M Deal

Fans can anticipate fresh material from Chris Rock in the near future, as Netflix announced that the comedy great has signed on with the entertainment giant. The deal will reportedly pay Rock $40 million to deliver two stand-up specials.

2016 marks 20 years since Rock shot to stardom with the released of his second HBO special, with 1996's "Bring The Pain." The show is noted for having elevated Rock, who was already an established comedian/actor, into the conversation of elite mainstream comedians. A world tour is currently being planned to precede the taping of the first show in 2017, which likely means it will become available during the holiday season, if not in early 2018. It'll be his first since the release of his fifth HBO Special "Kill the Messenger" in 2008.

"Chris Rock is a beloved actor and director, and his remarkable stand-up makes him comic royalty. There is no one like him, and Netflix offers the global platform and creative freedom that will serve as a perfect home for someone with his incredible talent,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said of the signing, Thursday [October 13].

Netflix's offer sums up to be a more lucrative package than those that have been commanded by fellow comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K. and Amy Schumer. In agreeing to the deal, Rock joins a roster of talent on the service that includes John Mulaney, Patton Oswalt, Cedric the Entertainer, Iliza Shlesinger, Ali Wong, Mike Epps, Aziz Ansari, Anjelah Johnson, Chris Tucker, Chelsea Handler and David Cross, Joe Rogan, Dana Carvey, Michael Che, Gabriel Iglesias, Reggie Watts and Colin Quinn.