It’s been almost 30 years since we last saw Happy Gilmore, the long-driving hero who won the Tour Championship in 1996. We finally get to catch up with Adam Sandler’s beloved character in Happy Gilmore 2, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Why now, nearly three decades later? “Adam’s very aware of his characters and very aware of the culture,” director Kyle Newacheck tells Tudum. “There’s been a wave of golf [popularity], so it feels like the movie is timely, just like it did in ’96. I remember asking him and him just saying, ‘It never felt like the exact right time until now.’ ”
Murder Mystery director Newacheck reunites with Sandler to direct the sequel, something extra special for a kid who grew up watching the comedian onscreen. “I remember [Happy Gilmore] being one of the last movies that I watched before I made this internal choice that, ‘Hey, that’s something that I want to do. I want to make movies like that,’ ” says Newacheck. “I understood the clash of high society, low society. ‘[My brother and I] loved the outsider coming into the country club. We identified with that so much.”
So where is Happy now, and who is he facing off against in this new underdog adventure? Keep reading to reunite with everybody’s favorite golfer and learn everything there is to know about Happy Gilmore 2.
Sandler is returning to the golf green as Happy Gilmore, and he’s bringing along a few familiar and fresh faces. Joining the film alongside Sandler are original Happy Gilmore stars Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Christopher McDonald, and brand-new co-star Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), daughters Sadie and Sunny Sandler, and Blake Clark.
The cast is an embarrassment of riches — with real-life golfers, other athletes, musicians, and comedians galore joining the sequel’s cast. Meet the full cast with Tudum’s guide to every single cast member and cameo in Happy Gilmore 2.
Meet the professional golfers joining the roster, including John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris in this behind-the-scenes video with Sandler.
Sandler fans have been eager for all the updates on the long-awaited sequel. Characters from Happy Gilmore have even popped up in Jack and Jill, Little Nicky, and Hubie Halloween. In addition to Sandler, the entire creative team also returns. Original Happy Gilmore co-writer Tim Herlihy is returning to write Happy Gilmore 2, Happy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan will serve as executive producer, and Happy Gilmore producers Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds also produce. Newacheck directs.
Newacheck says he and Sandler work together by looking “for the truth in the moment,” and letting that guide their collaboration. “There’s a massive respect towards Adam Sandler, because his tapes and early movies pointed me towards comedy. Sometimes when I’m working with him and when he genuinely is cracking up at something I said, it makes me feel like, ‘Well, hey, you raised this.’ ”
At the end of the original Happy Gilmore, Sandler’s titular character was finally at rest after a long, strenuous season of golf (and one knockdown brawl with The Price Is Right’s Bob Barker). On a mission to raise enough money to pay the IRS for his grandmother’s years of delinquent back taxes (oops), the failed hockey player took his skills on the road as the most unorthodox golf player the Tour Championship had ever seen.
Along the way, Happy made allies (the late, great Carl Weathers’ one-handed Chubbs Petersen and a homeless caddy played by Allen Covert) and enemies (Christopher McDonald’s arrogant Shooter McGavin and the aforementioned Bob Barker), but he ultimately triumphed in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. He showed the golf snobs who’s boss, saved his grandmother’s house, and returned home at last.
If you need a refresher, revisit the first installment on Netflix before diving into the sequel. In the real world, at least, Happy Gilmore is a legend. Even the world’s best golfers agree.
Watch Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix now, and get to know the cast on Tudum.
