Adam Sandler and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) in “Happy Gilmore 2.”
Netflix/Scott Yamano
Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 had a massive debut weekend on Netflix, so does that mean there are already talks of a Happy Gilmore 3?
Happy Gilmore 2, which is new on Netflix, arrived on the streaming platform on July 25, more than 29 years after the release of the original Happy Gilmore film in February of 1996. Starring Sandler as the title character opposite original Happy Gilmore cast members Julie Bowen (Virginia Venit) and Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin), Happy Gilmore 2 finds Happy in a not-so-happy place.
After marrying Virginia and having five kids together, Happy’s life goes into a tailspin after a personal tragedy and he quits the golf game. But when a huge opportunity arises for Happy’s daughter, Vienna (Sunny Sandler), to attend a prestigious but spendy private ballet school, the one-time hockey-stick-wielding professional golf sensation aims to make a comeback to provide for his family.
However, a rich entrepreneur, Frank Manatee (Benny Sadfie) runs interference with Happy’s plan when his new extreme sports-like golf league threatens the world of professional golf.
Happy Gilmore 2 attracted massive viewership numbers on Netflix in its first three days of release, which was enough for the sequel to rack up 46.7 million views — which equates to 91.9 million hours viewed — to debut at No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Global Movies chart for the week of July 21-27.
Naturally, a viewer response like that begs the obvious question of whether there will be a Happy Gilmore 3. Unfortunately for fans, Happy Gilmore franchise writer Tim Herlihy — who penned the Happy Gilmore and Happy Gilmore 2 scripts with Sandler — told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that right now, the answer is no as to whether the idea of a second Happy Gilmore sequel has been discussed.
“Not between me and Adam,” Herlihy, who did the interview with Sandler, told THR. “I can say we haven’t had one discussion about it. I haven’t even thought about it in the privacy of my own brain. I’m sure some people in the world are talking about it. Never say never, I guess. We said we’d never do Happy Gilmore 2, and it’s currently streaming on Netflix, so you never know.”
As for other principals involved with the new film, the idea of a Happy Gilmore 3 film isn’t on Happy Gilmore 2 director Kyle Newacheck’s radar, either.
“I would be too forward to even think about it right now,” Newacheck told The Direct. “The first one took [a] 29-year gestation period before they figured out what the second one is. I feel like whatever I come up with right now is going to be, not it, homie.”
Adam Sandler And Tim Herlihy Were In A Happy Place Before ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Was Even Released
In his THR interview with Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler was naturally thrilled about the huge reception of Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix over the weekend, which was an extension of the good vibes he was getting before the film arrived on the streaming service.
“We couldn’t be happier. It’s something that I can’t describe,” Sandler told THR. “Just walking down the street, hearing people talk about it even before it came out — we were like, something fun is going on here. We went from ‘This was nothing we ever thought about’ to having one of the best times of our careers together feeling, the fun of it all.”
While the idea of a Happy Gilmore 3 seems like a non-starter for now, it doesn’t mean that other characters in Herlihy and Sandler’s treasure trove of comedies aren’t up for the sequel treatment.
Herlihy told THR that the success of Happy Gilmore 2 “throws it open” regarding sequels for past characters from their films.
“Obviously, a lot of our older movies, we’ve lost cast members, like in this one, and sometimes it’s hard to imagine doing it without them. Definitely not sure we want to just be in the business of doing sequels to movies,” Herlihy told THR with a laugh. “But the response to this and the way people have embraced it definitely makes it more exciting, if we were to do that.”
Also starring Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), Hayley Joel Osment, Sadie Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Margaret Qualley and John Daly — and featuring several and showbiz and pro sports star cameos — Happy Gilmore 2 is new on Netflix.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/07/30/happy-gilmore-2-filmmakers-have-doubts-about-making-happy-gilmore-3/