Everything we know so far about Happy Gilmore 2

Well, Happy Gilmore 2 is officially happening! Netflix just confirmed the sequel during its 2024 upfronts presentation. While details are a bit scarce right now, we searched high and low for all the details about the upcoming golf comedy.

Nearly three decades after the 1996 Adam Sandler cult classic Happy Gilmore hit the screens, the hilarious sports comedy is reportedly teeing up for a sequel -- this time, courtesy of Netflix!

For those who need a refresher, the original film, co-penned by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, and directed by Dennis Dugan, follows Happy Gilmore an unsuccessful hockey player who discovers a unique talent for golf. The official synopsis, as per IMDb, for the 1996 gem reads:

"After his grandmothers house is repossessed by the IRS. A bad tempered hockey player takes his talents to golf to earn the big bucks and get his grandmothers house back."

- IMDb

In a recent interview with Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan, Christopher McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin in the original film, revealed that a sequel to Happy Gilmore is in the works! He revealed that Adam Sandler himself showed him a draft of the sequel script and expressed his excitement about the project, urging fans to demand it:

"I saw Adam about two weeks ago, and he says, ‘McDonald, you’re gonna love this,', he shows me the first draft of Happy Gilmore 2 and I thought, ‘Wow, that would be awesome.’ So it’s in the works. Fans, demand it, damn it!"

- via interview with Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan

Then, on May 15, after months of not commenting, Netflix revealed the plans for Happy Gilmore 2. The film is officially in development at Netflix. While it's hard to keep track of all of Netflix's biggest projects, we have to imagine Happy Gilmore 2 is one of the most highly anticipated projects in the works at Netflix right now.

Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison Productions, has a longstanding deal with Netflix, and he has produced and starred in several films for the platform such as Murder Mystery 2, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, along with voicing the title character in the animated film Leo.

Has Netflix announced the Happy Gilmore 2 release date?

Unfortunately, Netflix has not confirmed the Happy Gilmore 2 release date yet, but it's probably not going to be for a while.

It appears the film is still in the early stages. The creative team behind the sequel has not been officially announced. That will likely come soon.

Given what we know about the state of the film industry and how long it takes to make a movie like this, we have to imagine things won't start rolling on Happy Gilmore 2 until later this summer at the earliest, but that's still rather unlikely.

Our best guess is that production on Happy Gilmore 2 will start in the spring of 2025 with a release date sometime in 2026, which is the 30th anniversary of the first movie. That's what I would do if I was Netflix!

We'll share more news about the release date of Happy Gilmore 2 when we find out!

Cast

So far, Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald seem to be the only confirmed cast members for Happy Gilmore 2. Obviously, it only works with Sandler back as Happy, and McDonald was the one to break the news that a sequel was in development. We know he's involved.

It just feels right to bring back Julie Bowen for the sequel, too! Allen Covert, Kevin Nealon, and Ben Stiller should be back.

Then, Netflix obviously has a lot of connections to the world of gold with Full Swing and their live golf events. I think it's safe to assume that we could see Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and some of the biggest names in golf in Happy Gilmore 2, as well.

Of course, the late Carl Weathers, Francis Bey, and Bob Barker won't be a part of the sequel, but I feel like they have to honor them in some way.

At this time however, it is also unclear if the original director, Dennis Dugan, will be involved, but given the success of the first film and the long-standing relationship between Sandler and Dugan, there could be a potential for him to return also.

Stay tuned for more news about Happy Gilmore 2!