One of Adam Sandler’s most beloved comedies,Happy Gilmore, has seen a surge in popularity onNetflixfollowing the announcement that a sequel is now in development. Released way back in 1996,Happy Gilmorewas met with mixed reviews from critics upon release, but has since garnered a passionate following and is now consideredone of the best movies in Sandler’sextensive arsenal.
Happy Gilmorereached #5 in the Netflix Top 10 Movies this weekend, making it the fifth most watched movie on the platform, alongside the likes ofThe Little Thingsstarring Denzel Washington, director Edgar Wright’s kinetic crime action flickBaby Driver, M. Night Shyamalan’s crossover superhero sequelGlass, andSpace Jam: A New Legacy, which stars LeBron James alongside the Looney Tunes.
The sudden urge audiences have felt to watchHappy Gilmorecomes amid news thata sequel is now in development. The news first broke thanks to Sandler’s co-star Christopher McDonald, who revealed that Adam Sandler is now working onHappy Gilmore 2for Netflix.
“I saw Adam about two weeks ago, and he says to me, ‘McDonald, you’re gonna love this.’ I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘How ’bout that,’ [and] he shows me the first draft of Happy Gilmore 2.' Maybe you should cut that out (of this audio) because I don’t wanna be a liar, but he did show me that, and I thought, ‘Well, that would be awesome.’ So, it’s in the works. Fans demand it, dammit.”
Happy Gilmore 2 Will Debut on Netflix
Directed by Dennis Dugan, the firstHappy Gilmorefollows Adam Sandler as an unsuccessful ice hockey player with a red-hot temper who discovers a newfound talent for golf, entering a tournament in order to save his grandmother’s house.
Alongside Sandler as the titular Happy, Christopher McDonald stars as themain villain of the piece, Shooter McGavin, an arrogant, traditional golfer who despises Happy’s etiquette and fears he could lose the sports number one spot. The rest of the cast includesModern Familystar Julie Bowen and the late, great Carl Weathers, who played the ex-pro golfer and Happy’s mentor, Derick “Chubbs” Peterson.
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Sandler has since confirmed the development ofHappy Gilmore 2, saying he and co-writer Tim Herlihy have a “million ideas” about how the story could continue.
“We’re working on it. Me and [Tim] Herlihy are diligently trying to make a good reason for everyone to come and watch and have a good time. Netflix is excited about it. We’re working on it. We’ve got some good ideas. We have a million ideas already, we just have to make it a movie. We love Happy Gilmore. We don’t want to let anybody down. We’re gonna work hard and make sure it’s good.”
Sadly, several cast members from the first outing have since passed away, includingThe Price is Righthost Bob Barker, Carl Weathers, and Joe Flaherty. According to Sandler,Happy Gilmore 2will pay tribute to them all, with the actor and comedian adding thatthey will “somehow” be involved.
“It sucks. We love those guys. They’re such a big part of the movie and just great people.”
Happy Gilmoreis now available to stream on Netflix, with the sequel set to debut on the streaming service.
