One of Adam Sandler’s Best Comedies Sees Surge on Netflix Amid Sequel News

Summary

Happy Gilmore
sees surge in popularity following the news that a sequel is in development for Netflix.
Adam Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy confirmed to be working on
Happy Gilmore 2
with “a million ideas” for the story.
Happy Gilmore 2
will pay tribute to actors from the original film who passed away, including Bob Barker and Carl Weathers.

One of Adam Sandler’s most beloved comedies, Happy Gilmore, has seen a surge in popularity on Netflix following the announcement that a sequel is now in development. Released way back in 1996, Happy Gilmore was met with mixed reviews from critics upon release, but has since garnered a passionate following and is now considered one of the best movies in Sandler’s extensive arsenal.

Happy Gilmore reached #5 in the Netflix Top 10 Movies this weekend, making it the fifth most watched movie on the platform, alongside the likes of The Little Things starring Denzel Washington, director Edgar Wright’s kinetic crime action flick Baby Driver, M. Night Shyamalan’s crossover superhero sequel Glass, and Space Jam: A New Legacy, which stars LeBron James alongside the Looney Tunes.

The sudden urge audiences have felt to watch Happy Gilmore comes amid news that a 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 on Happy Gilmore 2 for 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 first Happy Gilmore follows 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 the main 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 includes Modern Family star 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 of Happy 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, including The Price is Right host Bob Barker, Carl Weathers, and Joe Flaherty. According to Sandler, Happy Gilmore 2 will pay tribute to them all, with the actor and comedian adding that they will “somehow” be involved.