Once Adam Sandler left Saturday Night Live, his first two Hollywood babies were Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Last week, the latter celebrated its big 25th anniversary. Naturally it had some of us thinking about how another Happy Gilmore movie could happen, and Sandler has been playing the field too. He’s seen some ideas from fans online, and there’s one he’s especially on board with tackling.
Adam Sandler and Happy Gilmore’s Christopher McDonald, who played Happy’s arch rival Shooter McGavin in the 1996 film, reminisced together on the Dan Patrick Show. When asked where Happy Gilmore 2 has been discussed, here’s what Sandler said:
It has not been discussed. But it’s certainly been discussed on the internet. Believe me, that senior tour idea--it would be so amazing.
Surprisingly enough, Adam Sandler has not been throwing around sequel ideas for Happy Gilmore in the past 25 years, but he has taken notice of an idea involving Happy and Shooter both returning to golf their hearts out for a senior golf tour. Both actors now fit in the over 50 category, with Sandler being 54 and McDonald being 66. There’s a lot of room for comedy while the enemies get back to it for an unlikely reunion.
Christopher McDonald was enthused about the idea of Happy Gilmore 2, saying that he is “double in” to come back as Shooter McGavin and thinks it would be a complete blast. Adam Sandler’s sets are notoriously fun to be on, so why not get back to the ole golf course for another one? Sandler recently shared this to honor Happy Gilmore’s special anniversary:
Adam Sandler is also still writing with the partner he has with him for Happy Gilmore, Tim Herlihy. The pair recently wrote Hubie Halloween together, which became a big hit on Netflix over the spooky season. Hubie also had a few nods to Happy Gilmore, with Julie Bowen once again playing his love interest. Both of the Modern Family actress’ characters had names with the initials V.V., by the way. Ben Stiller’s character from Happy Gilmore returned for a hilarious cameo in Hubie too.
So it’s not as if it couldn’t happen. The movie is most definitely beloved by many, and it remains to be one of Adam Sandler’s most celebrated comedies. But maybe that’s exactly why he hasn't touched it? There’s always the fear of a sequel tarnishing the legacy of the original, and Happy Gilmore is one half of the inspiration behind his production label, Happy Madison.
Back in 2015, Sandler similarly offered a slight glimmer of hope, but said he doubted that they’d actually continue where Happy Gilmore left off. But hey, he didn’t say no! While he’s at it, can he and Drew Barrymore do a 50 First Dates sequel too?
