Happy Gilmore 2: Tragic reason behind sequel's major ‘rewrite'
It's the moment fans have been desperately waiting for, but the version of Happy Gilmore 2 premiering on Netflix this Friday will look different from what was initially planned – and for a tragic reason.
Speaking to news.com.au ahead of its release, Happy Gilmore co-creator and star Adam Sandler revealed that Carl Weathers, who played Chubbs Peterson ('it's all in the hips!'), had been 'so excited' to once again play a significant role.
Sadly, Weathers died at the age of 74 last February, prior to filming getting underway.
As a result, Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy were forced to make last-minute adjustments to the story while grieving their friend.
'We had to rewrite all that stuff and try to make a little tribute to him,' Sandler explained.
'He was such a good person, and was so excited about it.'
He went on to describe their 'very close' friendship, formed on the set of the first Happy Gilmore film.
'We'd see each other a lot, we all miss hanging out with him. He was such a great presence … and not just in the film but during the shoot,' Sandler said.
'We all loved him and listened to everything he had to say.'
Details around the plot of the highly-anticipated sequel have been tightly wrapped for years, but what fans do know is that 30 years after winning his first Tour Championship, Happy is forced out of retirement and back into the sport to pay for his daughter's expensive ballet school in France. Of course, hilarity – and chaos – ensues.
Alongside Sandler, Julie Bowen makes her return as Virginia Venit, as well as original golf villain, Shooter McGavin (Chris McDonald).
Alongside those core three comes a truly staggering line-up of celebrity cameos.
Eminem, Bad Bunny, Post Malone, Travis Kelce, and just about every famous golfer on the planet turns up to join Happy's adventures in the next chapter, but Sandler revealed there was one person in particular who was 'over the moon' to be chosen.
Critically-acclaimed Maid actress Margaret Qualley reportedly begged to be part of the sequel, and once she got on set, really gave it her all.
'It was so hysterical. In the movie she shot for four or five days and it was so nice with her, she's such a fun spirit – she's so hysterical,' he recalled.
In fact, all these years on from the release of the smash hit original in 1996, when word spread around Hollywood that a follow-up was in the works, the calls to Sandler and his team started to come in thick and fast.
'It's funny, I would hear all over the place that 'so-and-so is excited, or would do something [in the movie], and then right when I'd hear that, I'd call [Herlihy] and say 'so-and-so said they want to do it, let's try and come up with something good',' Sandler explained.
Without giving anything away, there's a fairly dramatic development with Happy's wife, Virginia, right at the start – but Bowen told news.com.au she immediately knew it was the right way to tell the story.
'I was fully on board, I loved it,' the Modern Family star said.
Fans will be relieved to know that its Herlihy and Sandler at the creative helm of Happy Gilmore 2, given their success writing together for the first instalment.
That partnership brought with it some of the most-quoted cinematic lines of all time ('I eat pieces of s**t like you for breakfast!', anyone?) – many of which were delivered by Shooter.
Ahead of his character's reprisal, McDonald still can't decide which of his many, many quips is the most iconic, but he credits all the comedy to Sandler.
'It's all him,' he told news.com.au, nodding at his co-star and laughing as he recalled his top picks.
'I've got so many of them! 'Congratulations, murderer!' … 'Go back to your shanties' …[or] 'I think I'm turning that into my trophy room'.'
Meanwhile, with Happy Gilmore finally back for the next chapter, Sandler confirmed he'd consider bringing back more of his cult characters – on one condition.
'If [Bowen and McDonald] put on some weird costumes [and appear in them], I'll do it … that would be the one thing holding me back,' he said, prompting his co-stars to immediately offer suggestions.
'I'll be The Water Boy!' Bowen promised, with McDonald adding: 'I'm going to be your Zohan trainer.'
Watch this space.
Happy Gilmore 2 will be available to stream on Netflix from July 25.
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