On Feb. 16, 1996, all-time comedy classic “Happy Gilmore” was released to the world. The movie follows a young, hot-headed hockey player who turns to golf to try and prevent the foreclosure of his grandmother’s house. Despite his temperament, unusual swing and unique playing style, Happy Gilmore becomes a golf superstar and ends up winning the Tour Championship to save his grandmother’s house.
Over the years, “Happy Gilmore” has gained a mass cult following from its fans, and Rob Metts (10) believes everything about the film is timeless.
“I love the movie because it had such a great twist on both golf and comedy,” Metts said.
The witty plot and tie to the sporting world made the original a huge success that has only grown over the decades. Some fans pleaded for a sequel to the classic, but others feared that it would only ruin the storyline. Adam Sandler, the actor playing Happy Gilmore, saw this risk in creating the sequel, but knew exactly how to recapture the glory and comedic appeal of the original film.
On July 25, 2025, the long-awaited sequel, “Happy Gilmore 2,” launched worldwide on Netflix with Happy Gilmore finally returning to screen. The movie follows Gilmore, who took a long break from golf after a tragic accident, but now finally returns to fund his daughter’s dream of going to dance school. Gilmore teams up with fellow professional golfers Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka to take down the new age of golf, Maxi Golf.
According to Variety Magazine, “Happy Gilmore 2” generated 46.7 million views in three days, making it the biggest U.S. opening weekend of all time for a Netflix movie. One reason why the movie was such a huge success was due to its close ties to the original film.
Annabelle Davis (11) is a fan of both the original and the sequel and loved how they related to each other.
“In ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ I really enjoyed how it referenced the original movie a lot,” Davis said.
Fans instantly attached to the movie because it brought back so much that they loved from the first movie. This includes references like the heckling, the crocodile hazards and, of course, Happy Gilmore’s iconic swing. Along with special moments, the sequel brought back numerous fan-favorite characters.
Andrew Brown (10) loved the first movie, and the return of beloved characters was one of the reasons why he enjoyed the second one so much.
“One of my favorite parts about the movie was how they brought back so many of the old characters,” Brown said.
In the sequel, adored characters like Shooter McGavin, Hal L, Virginia and Gilmore’s caddy finally returned. References to original characters through family were also featured, including Chubbs’ son and Mr. Larson’s son.
Along with the fan-favorite characters and actors returning, many new characters and cameos appeared in “Happy Gilmore 2.” The cast featured a star-studded lineup of cameos and celebrities, including professional athletes like Travis Kelce, Kelsey Plum and Reggie Bush; pro golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Justin Thomas and John Daly; musical artists like Eminem, Bad Bunny, Kid Cudi and Post Malone; and many more celebrity cameos, including Guy Fieri, Bobby Lee and Stephen A. Smith. “Happy Gilmore 2” is truly a special work of film.
