After nearly three decades, Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore is back for the long-awaited sequel—a movie that includes countless fun references to the original film audiences love.
This new adventure, which was filmed on some beautiful golf courses, also brings back a long list of revered actors and classic characters from the first movie, including Julie Bowen's Virginia Venit, Ben Stiller's Hal L., Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin, and more. This time, new faces include actors such as Benny Safdie, Margaret Qualley, Conor Sherry, Ethan Cutkosky, Travis Kelce, and Sunny Sandler. Happy Gilmore 2 hits Netflix on July 25, 2025.
The story sees Adam Sandler's (who might be popping up in another legacy sequel) Happy Gilmore, who has been out of the golf game for a while, pushed into picking up the golf club to not only get money he desperately needs but also to save golf as we know it. The Direct's Russ Milheim sat down with director Kyle Newacheck to discuss Happy Gilmore 2 and how he balanced the number of nods and references to the original.
Newacheck described the selection process as "a feeling," noting how "it was a balancing act of tone and love and respect to the first one." The filmmaker also explained how, since it's been 29 years since the first movie was released, "The callbacks of the nostalgia feel a little sweet," and "You can get away with a little more."
While Happy Gilmore 2 contains many callbacks to the original, Newacheck asked himself, "How do we build something new?" He also wanted to come in and help make this new installment "feel contemporary" while "[being] a new thing" and "[freshening] it up a little bit."
Happy Gilmore 2 Director Kyle Newacheck on How the Sequel Plays off the Original
"It Was a Balancing Act of Tone and Love and Respect to the First One..."
- The Direct: "Happy Gilmore 2' has a ton of callbacks to the original. What was it like working to maintain a good balance in terms of how often this installment played off the classic movie?
Kyle Newacheck: I think it was a feeling. It was a feeling at the end of the day, it was a balancing act of tone and love and respect to the first one, which was top of mind to really. It's been 30 years. It's not like it's been two years and you're doing the same jokes. It's been 30 years. So they feel sweeter, the callbacks of the nostalgia feel a little sweeter.
So, you can get away with a little more. And it just, I like when we bury some of them and in ways, you know, you call things back in ways that you're not really expecting. [It] feels good. But then at the same time, you also, with the love and respect to the first one, there's an equal part [of] let's make something new and cool so that it does not become only about the first movie.
It's obviously, the first movie is there, and we all love it, and we're aware of it, and it's a comedy, and comedies can be aware. So yeah, that's good. But at the same time, what is the new story? What is the new arc of the character and the world. And that's what I was really interested in for the most part, was, how do we build something new? How can I be brought in here having not been a part of the first one? You're bringing me in to do something, to make it feel new, to make it feel contemporary, to make it be a new thing, freshen it up a little bit.
- The Direct: "Were there any easter eggs you really wanted to include that just didn't make the cut?"
Kyle Newacheck: No, I think we got—I'm gonna say no, I think we got everything in that we wanted to. In fact, there are probably easter eggs that hit the floor because we went too deep, you know?
- The Direct: "The story revolves around this new Maxi League, who claim they're going to be changing golf forever. Can you just tease to audiences how they might be aiming to do that, and then also how you work to design and portray their whole stiq?"
Kyle Newacheck: I don't want to give a lot away, you know what I mean, because I'm a fan of 'Happy Gilmore' as well, and I would not want to spoil it for anybody out there. But I will say that the golf carts that they drive are pretty rocking, and they can go about 60 miles an hour, okay? So, I would say that just imagine your average golf with a 60 mile an hour carts, and then you're well on your way with how they're changing things.
- The Direct: "I do have to ask: Happy Gilmore 3, have there been any discussions? And you know, what would you personally want to explore if you got to continue living in this world?"
Kyle Newacheck: I mean, I don't know. I wouldn't be too forward. I would be too forward to even think about it right now. 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.
The full interview can be viewed below:
