Back in March, I reported that Adam Sandler was working on a sequel to his 1995 cult classic comedy “Happy Gilmore.”
This was the first time we’ve gotten word of a ‘Happy Gilmore’ sequel being in the works, and now it looks as though things are speeding up. The sequel is set to be shot in September.
This could explain why Josh Safdie and Sandler’s baseball project had to be delayed, and instead Safdie boarded the Ping Pong film with Timothee Chalamet, announced on Tuesday.
Dennis Dugan won’t return to the direct the sequel. Instead, it’s Kyle Newacheck who will helm “Happy Gilmore 2.” Newacheck is no stranger to Netflix, or Sandler; he directed “Murder Mystery”, in which Sandler co-starred alongside Jennifer Aniston. That movie, at one point, sat in Netflix’s most-watched movie list of all time, with 83 million views.
Sadly, the late Bob Barker won’t be reprising his role in the sequel, but we’ll always have Sandler and Barker’s iconic fist fight on YouTube (“The price is wrong, bitch!”)
In the 1995 film, Sandler introduced audiences to his failed hockey player who finds unexpected success on the pro golf tour. It only made $38 million at the box-office, but ended up becoming a major success on home video and is now regarded, by many, as Sandler’s signature role.
“Happy Gilmore” was part of the ‘90s Sandler trifecta, which also consisted of “Billy Madison,” and “The Wedding Singer.” As amusing as those films might be, Sandler’s artistic triumphs have come as a dramatic actor in critically acclaimed films such as “Uncut Gems,” “Punch-Drunk Love” and “The Meyerowitz Stories.”
Following “Air,” this is Affleck’s latest stint behind the camera. He has cast himself in the lead role, alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”).