Happy Gilmore 2 Is Here: Return to Your Happy Place With Adam Sandler
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.’ ”
A sequel to “Happy Gilmore” is in the works, Netflix announced in a post on X Wednesday, with Adam Sandler reprising his role as the comedy classic’s neurotic titular star.
Sandler co-wrote the 1996 film, which sees a failed ice hockey player make the turbulent – often violent – transition to golf phenom in order to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure.
Standing in Gilmore’s way is arch-nemesis Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald, who in March teased that Sandler was working on a sequel script.
“It’s in the works. Fans demand it, dammit!” McDonald said during an interview on an episode of “Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan” radio show, adding that he was “very, very pleased” when he read a first draft Sandler showed him.
Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, and Kevin Nealon starred alongside the duo in the original, as well as Carl Weathers, who died aged 76 in February.
Weathers played Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, a retired pro who becomes Gilmore’s mentor, and was described by Sandler as “a true great man” in an Instagram post paying tribute to the football player turned actor.
“Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete,” Sandler, 57, wrote. “So much fun to be around … Carl will always be known as a true legend.”
Eliezer Paul-Gindiri has made waves on social media platform TikTok with his booming one-handed golf swing.
Related article
Meet ‘Snappy Gilmore,’ the viral TikTok sensation reinventing the golf swing
Among Sandler’s most iconic roles, the slapstick comedy has proven to be a favorite of golf fans and professionals alike, inspiring countless recreations of Gilmore’s unorthodox technique – and even a real-life golfing namesake.
“The funny thing is that there are so many non-golfers who would know what the ‘Happy Gilmore swing’ is or they’ve watched the film,” Ladies European Tour winner Amy Boulden told CNN’s Living Golf in 2021.
“I think that’s great that it’s got so many people from outside of golf interested. They’ve watched the movie and then they’ll go to the driving range and just try to replicate that iconic golf swing.”
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.
Who’s in the Happy Gilmore 2 cast?
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.
Who else is involved in Happy Gilmore 2?
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.’ ”
Remind me, what happened at the end of the original Happy Gilmore?
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.
You might be tempted to rewatch Adam Sandler’s hit 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore before taking in its long-belated sequel on Netflix, but there’s really no need. There are so many clips from its predecessor that even those who never saw the original film will have no trouble catching up. Add to that the many original performers repeating their roles, the constant callbacks and the nonstop nostalgia, and the result is less a continuation than an exercise in fan service. If you’re watching Happy Gilmore 2 at home, don’t be surprised if some of the castmembers show up 
at your door offering autographed pictures for a fee.
Yes, it’s been 29 years since the first film, but considering its constant presence on cable and streaming, it’s surprising that repeating screenwriters Sandler and Tim Herlihy felt the need to provide so many reminders. But then again, Sandler has always proved adept at giving his audiences what they want. Like the first film, the sequel (directed by Kyle Newacheck) proves moronic, witless and relentlessly vulgar. Which is to say, Happy Gilmore fans will love it.
As the story begins, Happy is all washed up, lost in an alcoholic haze after accidentally killing his beloved wife, Virginia, with an errant golf ball (Julie Bowen smartly bails from the proceedings after a few minutes, her character only briefly reappearing periodically as a ghost). He’s lost his home, he’s broke and he works a menial job at a supermarket, which is not going to pay for his daughter Vienna’s expensive tuition at a Paris ballet academy. (She’s played by Sandler’s daughter Sunny, continuing his penchant for casting friends and family members in his movies.)
So as former golfer John Daly, who’s living in his garage, points out, there’s nothing else for Happy to do but go back to playing golf. Returning to the links turns out to be humiliating, since his first time out on the course with some strangers (played by the likes of Eric André and Margaret Qualley) proves disastrous. But he eventually sobers up after attending a support group for “alkies” led by former retirement home orderly Hal (Ben Stiller, somehow managing not to be funny).
Encouraged by the other veteran golfers — the film features cameos from so many well-known players it should be shown on ESPN, not Netflix — Happy, who still suffers from anger management issues, re-enters the circuit. Except his competition this time isn’t Shooter McGavin, his arch-nemesis from the first film, but rather an upstart group called Maxi Golf, a bizarre new concept featuring showbiz embellishments and golfers who’ve been surgically enhanced to improve their swings. (Its CEO is played by Benny Safdie, who, along with brother Josh, directed Uncut Gems, a film that demonstrated Sandler’s genuine acting chops. Here, the talented actor/filmmaker is reduced to a running gag involving his character’s horrifically bad breath.)
Speaking of Shooter McGavin, he thankfully does reappear in the glorious form of Christopher McDonald, as if you had any doubt. Released from the mental institution in which he’s been confined since the events of the previous film, Shooter winds up as Happy’s ally, although not before the two of them duke it out in a cemetery filled with tombstones emblazoned with the names of now-deceased characters (including Bob Barker, whose fight with Sandler in the first film became iconic).
Sandler lazily walks through the film looking, as one character describes him, like someone who “got divorced four seconds ago.” Thankfully, McDonald is on hand to lend the proceedings some genuine lunacy. More surprisingly, Bad Bunny turns out to be utterly endearing, and very funny, as a busboy whom Happy hires as his caddie. Although it’s unlikely that anyone had the Puerto Rican superstar slathering a bare-chested Travis Kelce with honey, as he does here, on their cinematic bingo card.
Other than a running gag revolving around Happy’s use of every possible object as a liquor container, the film’s main humor involves people being painfully hit by golf balls. By the time the movie ends and you’ve been assaulted by one tired gag after another, you’ll know exactly how they feel.
In the aftermath, as Happy is celebrating his three-month sobriety, Hal is exposed as Halyosius Lieberman, and is arrested. Maxi Energy Drink is discontinued after being revealed to cause significant oral health issues, leaving Manatee in ruin. Happy accompanies his kids to the airport to go to Paris, promising to go join them after his participation in the British Open. After the plane takes off, he realizes that his new car has no battery, and he is seen walking off.
Steve Buscemi portrays the Gilmores' neighbor Pat, Kym Whitley plays support group member Bessie, and John Farley appears as Nate. Eric André, Martin Herlihy and Margaret Qualley appear as Steiner, Fitzy and Sally, a trio of young golfers whom Happy joins, while Austin Post portrays DJ Omar Gosh. Scott Mescudi plays an FBI agent.
Marcello Hernandez appears as Oscar's cousin Esteban and Travis Kelce plays Oscar's abusive boss at the club restaurant. Nick Swardson portrays Ben Daggett. Eminem appears as Donald Jr., son of the late heckler (known as the "Jackass" guy) playe
d by Joe Flaherty in the first film.
Verne Lundquist reprises his role as himself from the first film alongside Jack Giarraputo as Jack Beard. Robert Smigel reprises his role as the IRS agent from the first film, now working as a lawyer. Jon Lovitz plays a "dapper" man at a driving range, Rob Schneider appears as a dwarf riding a tricycle in Happy's imagination, and Blake Clark appears as a man on the beach highly reminiscent of his role of Farmer Fran in The Waterboy. Sportscaster Dan Patrick portrays Pat Daniels.
Jenkins' Maxi Golf teammates include Oliver Hudson as Harley, Fernando Marrero as Screech, Reggie Bush as 8-Ball, and Rebecca Quin as Flex. Boban Marjanović plays Drago Larson, the son of Happy's late boss Mr. Larson (played by Richard Kiel in the first film) alongside Sandler's mother Judy as Mrs. Larson.
Professional golfers Keegan Bradley, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Sergio García, Charley Hull, Hunter Mahan, Collin Morikawa, Jack Nicklaus, Corey Pavin, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Lee Trevino (who also appeared in the first film), Bubba Watson, and Will Zalatoris make cameo appearances as themselves. Nelly Korda and Nancy Lopez appears alongside co-writer Tim Herlihy as the doctors overseeing Shooter's release from the mental facility, and Paige Spiranac plays an employee of Dick's Sporting Goods.
Also appearing as themselves are sportscasters Stephen A. Smith, Chris Berman, and Jim Gray, influencer Alix Earle, rapper Cam'ron, game show host Ken Jennings, comedy podcasters Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee, and chef Guy Fieri.
In September 2022, Adam Sandler stated that he hoped to eventually make a sequel to Happy Gilmore, saying he had been creating ideas for what a follow-up film would be, while stating the character would be involved in a senior golf tour.In March 2024, Christopher McDonald revealed that a sequel was in development, and that Sandler had shown him a draft of the script to read.
In May 2024, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit the film, taking over for the first film's distributor Universal Pictures. Kyle Newacheck was hired to direct the film, with Tim Herliy co-writing the screenplay with Sandler. In July, Nick Swardson announced he would star in the film. In August, Sandler revealed Benny Safdie would have a role in the film,[6] with football player Travis Kelce set to make a cameo.[7] In September, McDonald and Julie Bowen were confirmed to be reprising their roles, with Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also added to the cast. John Daly would reveal he had filmed scenes for the film.
Principal photography began on September 9, 2024, in New Jersey, coinciding with Sandler's 58th birthday.A casting call took place at a hotel in Morristown, New Jersey. Filming locations in New Jersey include a country club in Bedminster,[14] a burger shop in Garfield, a golf center in Hackettstown, a nail salon in Maplewood,a beach in Middletown, a deli in Millburn,a French restaurant in Montclair,[19] a cafe in Morristown, a public school in Newark, Seton Hall University in South Orange, Montclair Golf Club in West Orange,Verona Town Hall in Verona Township, and a Stop & Shop supermarket in Clifton. In November, Ben Stiller joined the cast, reprising his role as Hal L. from both the previous film and Hubie Halloween (2020), and Dennis Dugan, who directed the original film, was confirmed to be reprising his role as tour commissioner Doug Thompson. Filming wrapped on December 10, 2024.
Cast
Adam Sandler - as Happy Gilmore, a golfer who comes out of retirement
Julie Bowen -as Virginia Venit Gilmore, Happy's late wife
Christopher McDonald -as Shooter McGavin, Happy's rival who suffered a mental breakdown following his defeat at the end of the first movie
Benny Safdie -as Frank Manatee, the CEO of Maxi Energy Drink, sponsor of Maxi Golf.
Bad Bunny -as Oscar Mejías, Happy's caddy
John Daly -as a fictionalized version of himself, a hermit who lives in Happy's garage
Ben Stiller -as Haloysius Lieberman (Hal L.), the abusive leader of a support group for alcoholics
Jackie Sandler -as Monica, Vienna's dance teacher
Sadie Sandler -as Charlotte, a member of Hal L.'s support group
Sunny Sandler- as Vienna Gilmore, Happy's youngest child and only daughter who is an aspiring dancer
Maxwell Jacob -Friedman as Gordie Gilmore, Happy's eldest son.
Ethan Cutkosky -as Wayne Gilmore, Happy's second son
Philip Fine Schneider - as Bobby Gilmore, Happy's third son
Conor Sherry -as Terry Gilmore, Happy's youngest son
Dennis Dugan as Doug Thompson, the head of the professional golf tour
Kevin Nealon -as Gary Potter, a sports commentator and former golfer
Haley Joel -Osment as Billy Jenkins, a young pro-golfer with a powerful swing similar to Happy's who defects to the Maxi Golf team.
Lavell Crawford -as Slim Peterson, son of Happy's late mentor Chubbs who also sports a prosthetic hand.
Posted on 2025/07/26 02:25 PM