Adam Sandler is heading back to the golf course nearly three decades after Happy Gilmore’s 1996 release.
Netflix announced in May 2024 that Happy Gilmore 2 was in the works with Sandler set to reprise his role as the titular character. The cult classic followed Happy, an unsuccessful ice hockey player, as he discovered his natural talent for golf. He enters a golf tournament hoping to win money to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure.
Alongside Sandler, the sports comedy also starred Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Carl Weathers, Allen Covert and Ben Stiller.
Two months before Netflix confirmed the sequel news, McDonald, who played Sandler’s nemesis Shooter McGavin in the film, teased that Happy Gilmore 2 was in development.
Adam Sandler is an industry icon for a reason. The comedic actor’s decades-long career has seen him charm audiences in everything from Happy Gilmore to The Wedding Singer and gained a whole new generation of fans thanks to the animated Hotel Transylvania franchise. Sandler first gained major recognition when he became a cast member on […]
“Here’s a quick intel. I saw Adam about two weeks ago and he says to me ‘McDonald, you’re going to love this,’” he shared in a March 2024 interview on 92.3 “The Fan” in Cleveland. “I said, ‘What?’ And he says ‘How about that? And he shows me a first draft of Happy Gilmore 2.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about the Happy Gilmore sequel:
What Happened at the End of the Original ‘Happy Gilmore’?
At the end of the 1996 film, Happy Gilmore (Sandler) uses a trick shot to win the Tour Championship and the gold jacket, ultimately winning his grandma’s house back.
Who Will Star in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?
When the sequel was confirmed in May 2024, Netflix shared that Sandler was expected to reprise his role. Three months later, Sandler confirmed the news and shared that Travis Kelce was also going to be joining him in the film.
“The whole thing was to get to hang out with Travis. That’s why we put it together,” Sandler said of the movie on an August 2024 episode of Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. “We’re going there [to New Jersey]. Travis, by the way, thank you, I heard you talking about [Happy Gilmore 2] on your show, you guys.”
The comedian teased he had a special role in mind for the NFL star, but they ultimately decided not to pursue that direction.
“We were talking about you playing my son while we were writing it, literally, like, six months ago,” Sandler continued. “We were like, imagine if Travis was my first baby, how funny that would be. Just a badass.”
That same month, Netflix announced that Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are set to return for the sequel. “Shooter McGavin and Virginia Venit, please report to the green,” Netflix wrote via X while announcing the news. Minutes later, the streaming service revealed Bad Bunny would also join the cast. In November 2024, Variety reported that Stiller will return as Hal L.
In December 2024, Sandler also confirmed rapper Eminem was making a “funny as hell” cameo in the film during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“Eminem was cool. He came by, he was great,” the actor said at the time, though he did not dish on what role the rapper plays in the film. “I’ve known Eminem for a long time, he’s a great guy and he came in and was funny as hell. I think we just hung out a day with Eminem and he just shot and shot and he was insane. He said a million things we can use and a million that we’re glad we have him on tape.”
What Will the Plot of ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Be?
A March 2025 teaser trailer shared the first plot details for the film, revealing that Sandler’s titular character hasn’t “swung a club in years.” Now “intimidated” by pro golfers, Happy gets back in the game by training for a golf tournament.
“We’re not done with golf,” Virginia tells Happy in the teaser. “Let them see the Happy I fell in love with.”
The Sandman abides! Adam Sandler is beloved for his comedy all over the world, but many of his fans are also fascinated with his sense of style. The Big Daddy actor is known for dressing casually on nearly every occasion, whether he’s taping a talk show appearance or attending a premiere for one of his […]
Are Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler’s Characters Together in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?
“We are very much together,” Bowen confirmed during an appearance on the Today show in September, referring to her and Sandler’s characters.
Is There a Trailer for ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?
Adam Sandler YouTube/Netflix
Netflix released the first look at the sequel on Christmas Day 2024. “Season’s Greetings from Netflix, and a Happy New Year,” read a message on the screen over clips of Sandler’s Happy back on the golf course.
In the first trailer, rapper Bad Bunny appears to be playing Happy’s caddy, while Kelce’s character tells Happy, “It’s great to see you back, Mr. Gilmore.” In one scene, Happy is seen in a huddle with a group of kids, including Sandler’s real-life daughter Sunny. The shot seems to be a hint that Happy and Virginia started a family. (Sandler shares his daughters Sunny and Sadie with his wife, Jackie.)
“We’ve only just begun,” Virginia tells Happy near the end of the clip before leaning in to share a kiss. The first look concludes with a major tease, showing Happy and Shooter having a staredown in a graveyard.
A second trailer released in March 2025 teases Happy’s return to the golf course after years away from the sport.
In a third teaser released during Netflix’s Tudum event in May 2025, it was revealed that Happy returns to golf looking to win the money to send his daughter Vienna (played by Sunny Sandler) to ballet school.
“Remember the happy place I went to? You go to yours,” he tells his daughter.
Will Any Pro Golfers Appear in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’?
In a February 2025 behind-the-scenes clip, Netflix revealed that several golfing stars would make appearances in the upcoming sequel, including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Will Be ‘Hilarious’
While attending the 16th Annual AAFCA Awards, Kym Whitley gave Us exclusive insight into her experience working on the film.
“It’s going to be hilarious,” Whitley exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2025. “First of all, Adam Sandler, not only is he funny, is a great guy. When I say great, not only that he’s just a great person, but he reaches back. He gets all his comic friends. He gives us all jobs, and he lets us play around with the script. He’ll be like, ‘Try it! Do this and that!’”
According to Whitley, the script is “stupid funny.”
“The funniest moment on set was a scene where I’m outside Ben Stiller‘s window, and we are acting a fool. Adam Sandler’s daughter is in it,” Whitley added. “We’re scene partners. She’s young and we just get to act crazy. That’s one of my favorite moments.”
Sandler shares daughters Sunny and Sadie with wife Jackie, all of whom make frequent cameos in his projects.
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Will Honor Carl Weathers
Original cast member McDonald teased that the film’s sequel will honor Weathers — who played Chubbs in the original 1996 film but died in February 2024 at the age of 76.
“I miss him every day. He’s a good pal,” McDonald exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2025 at GBK, MEND & Bodywell’s Pre-Academy Awards Luxury Lounge, Presented by KC Chic Designs. “We were pals in that movie. Then after that, we stayed good friends. But a lot of different people that aren’t with us anymore, we’re celebrating.”
McDonald added that the stars of Happy Gilmore 2 send Weather and other late costars “love in the movie. I can’t talk about it, but you’ll see how we talk about them in the movie.”
In an interview with Collider published July 18, Sandler confirmed that Weathers’ death required a “painful change” to the long-awaited sequel’s script.
“Carl Weathers had a massive part,” he explained. “I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away.”
“We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie,”he added. “That was the biggest change.”
When Will ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Premiere on Netflix?
The sequel film debuts on July 25, 2025.
