Netflix and Adam Sandler bring back "Happy Gilmore"

The rumour has persisted over the past few months. Now it's official. Netflix is working with Adam Sandler on a sequel to the cult golfer comedy "Happy Gilmore". In 1996, Sandler played his way into the hearts of many viewers with this role and made his final breakthrough in Hollywood after his respectable success with "Billy Madison".

In North America, the comedy grossed around 39 million dollars. This made "Happy Gilmore" one of the most successful films of the year. Sandler even named his production company Happy Madison Productions, founded in 1999, after these two films. Now Adam Sandler will once again take on the leading and title role. He has also worked diligently on the screenplay again.

What is "Happy Gilmore" about?

Warning: The next paragraph contains spoilers for the original 1996 film

In "Happy Gilmore", Adam Sandler plays the title character. An unsuccessful former ice hockey player who turns to golf to save his grandmother's house from foreclosure. Despite his rude behaviour and unconventional style, Gilmore wins games and becomes the darling of spectators and the media for this very reason. However, this makes him an enemy of the arrogant golf pro Shooter McGavin. With the help of his trainer Chubbs Peterson and his girlfriend Virginia Venit, he finally defeats McGavin, saves his grandmother's house and learns to control his anger in the process.

The sports comedy is unfortunately not currently included in any streaming flat rate. However, you can rent and watch the film for a fee on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and MagentaTV. You can find more information here.

No details yet on the sequel

The first rumours about the sequel emerged when Christopher McDonald spilled the beans at the end of March that Sandler had unexpectedly presented him with a script for a second part. McDonald played Gilmore's antagonist, Shooter McGavin, in the original film. Drew Barrymore, a good friend of Sandler's, later mentioned on her talk show that she had approached him about it and he had confirmed plans to do so.

Further details about the sequel are not yet known. However, as there is already a script, a cinema release in 2025 can be expected. In all likelihood, McDonald will then return alongside Sandler as shooter McGavin. However, this will not apply to all of the original stars. Not only Carl Weathers as mentor Chubbs Peterson, who was killed in an accident in the original film, has already passed away. Richard Kiel, Joe Flaherty, Frances Bay and Bob Barker are also sadly no longer with us.

New film, new actors?

The well-known professional golfer Paige Spiranac could possibly play a role. She was the first female athlete to be voted "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Maxim magazine in 2022. She recently commented on fan speculation about her dream casting for "Happy Gilmore 2" and her role as a PR lady with the words: "I was born ready".

Collaboration between Netflix and Sandler

For Sandler and Netflix, it will be a familiar collaboration. The two parties have been working together since 2015. The 57-year-old comedian has now produced several films for the streaming giant. Overall, Sandler has been able to surprise positively in more serious roles in recent years ("Hustle", "The Black Diamond", "The Meyerowitz Stories"). In my opinion, his more recent comedies have rarely been able to match the charm of his earlier works. The audience ratings on IMDb take a similar view.

Quo vadis, Adam Sandler?

As a child and teenager, I was a big fan of "Happy Gilmore" and especially of Adam Sandler. I usually found the comedies he was in funny and warm-hearted. Since around 2007, starting with the dreadful "Chuck and Larry", this anticipation for a new Sandler film has waned noticeably. Since then, he has delivered some solid films, but these have been in the drama genre. I hope that with "Happy Gilmore 2" he can pick up on his old comedy successes again and bring out a film that may also be raunchy, but still exudes a certain charm.

Are you looking forward to the sequel to "Happy Gilmore" or are you now just annoyed by Adam Sandler and his films? Let me know in the comments.