Universal
Last month, we learned Happy Gilmore 2 was in the works courtesy of the actor who played Shooter McGavin in the original—and he apparently wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that was the case based on what Adam Sandler had to say while addressing the project for the first time.
It’s been close to 30 years since Happy Gilmore hit theaters, and while it’s aged incredibly well, I think most people assumed Adam Sandler was content with allowing what is arguably his magnum opus to stand on its own as opposed to trying to cash in with a sequel three decades after the fact.
However, Christopher McDonald (the actor the vast majority of people know as Shooter McGavin) treated us to quite a surprise when he appeared on a radio show toward the end of March and revealed Sandler had informed him he was working on the script for Happy Gilmore 2—a development that understandably attracted plenty of attention.
The following week, Dan Patrick (the former ESPN personality who’s appeared in a number of Sandler’s movies) revealed he’d chatted with the comedian about the sequel where he’s apparently already landed a role, and on Wednesday, we got our biggest scoop yet courtesy of The Sandman himself.
During a lengthy chat with Patrick (the discussion concerning Happy Gilmore 2 kicks off in the second half), Sandler lightly chided McDonald for spilling the beans after he told him to keep his mouth shut but added he’s been very pleased with the reaction to the news coming out.
He told Patrick he’s still working on the script with collaborator Tim Herlihy and it certainly sounds like there are plenty of things to iron out before the final draft is submitted to the folks at Netflix.
He also noted they have plans to honor the late Carl Weathers and Joe Flaherty (the latter of whom played the “Jackass!” heckler) as well as Bob Barker, saying “I would love [for] Drew Carey to be in this movie” so his character could presumably get his butt kicked by another host of The Price is Right.
Sandler is currently in London shooting a Noah Baumbach movie alongside George Clooney, and it sounds like he plans to really turn his attention to the Happy Gilmore 2 script once he gets back to the United States. As a result, it’s safe to assume we’re at least a couple of years away from a release, but we’ll just have to wait and see.