Hundreds of players have traveled to Atlanta this weekend for MLG’s Eastern Conference Championships, and when the venue doors opened, they all noticed one major aesthetic change: film posters attached to the end of each station table and on the main stage advertising the new Adam Sandler-directed comedy film Grandma’s Boy. We are proud to announce that Sandler’s Happy Madison productions has chosen MLG for an exclusive promotional partnership for their newest film, which will hit theaters January 6.

Fliers are posted throughout the venue detailing the film, and a DVD trailer will be played on the main stage projectors periodically during the tournament. Grandma’s Boy is a riotous comedy that wears its social misgivings (sex, drugs and profanity) proudly on its sleeve. The story follows Alex, an aging man who works as a video game tester during the day while moonlighting as a game developer at night. Through a ridiculously unfortunate series of events involving bad roommates and hookers, he is forced to move in with his grandmother and her two roommates, leading to one hilarious situation after another. A recent press release puts the movie’s off-beat and colorful humor into perspective by noting that “Grandma’s Boy features gamers and grannies, sex and partying, bong vases and footie pajamas, and even a Tae Kwan Do master chimpanzee (don’t call him a monkey).” It all adds up to something that any fan of Sandler’s work in the past will instantly love.

So what does this all mean, exactly? Simply put, it means that a major Hollywood star’s film company was looking for a way to reach an audience for their newest comedy, and they saw MLG as the best avenue through which to do it. What it all boils down to is that Major League Gaming has finally arrived as a force to be reckoned with; an influential entity with a loyal and dedicated fan-base that has spearheaded this rapidly expanding youth-culture revolution known as pro-gaming. All season we’ve been talking about how MLG has gradually been growing into a viable mainstream phenomenon, and this promotional partnership with Happy Madison is just one indicator of the things to come. Know that this is only the beginning of a series of positive changes that will see MLG in the national (and international) spotlight in the very near future… There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the MLG community, so sit back and witness the realization of everything that has been slowly drawing nearer over the past two seasons.

For more details on the upcoming film, check out this page, where you can view the official press release and two different trailers — one that is only to be viewed by those over the age of 18 (it contains nudity), and another, edited version that is approved for all audiences.