Netflix has given an official order to the Happy Gilmore sequel recently teased as being in the works, Deadline has confirmed.
The streamer made the announcement during its Upfront presentation on Wednesday, confirming that Adam Sandler is set to return as the golfer that gives the classic comedy its name. No word of a logline or other attachments for the moment.
Actor Christopher McDonald, who played Gilmore’s pro golfer nemesis Shooter McGavin, was first to get word out about the project with comments made in March. Netflix was a natural destination for it, given Sandler’s longtime deal with the streamer, which has seen him produce and star in titles like The Ridiculous Six, Murder Mystery and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, among others.
One of Sandler’s most popular films — and one of two, along with Billy Madison, that gives its name to his production company, Happy Madison — Happy Gilmore follows Sandler’s titular failed hockey player with a powerful slapshot and a volatile temper. When Happy’s grandmother, who raised him, is threatened with eviction from her home due to unpaid taxes, Happy discovers that he has a natural talent for golf, specifically driving the ball incredible distances.
With the help of retired golf pro Chubbs Peterson, played by the late Carl Weathers, he decides to join the PGA Tour to win enough money to save his grandmother’s house. However, Happy’s unorthodox and aggressive playing style clashes with the traditional etiquette of golf, making him unpopular with PGA officials and other players like McGavin, a smug and arrogant golfer who sees Happy as a threat to his own career aspirations.
Released by Universal Pictures, the film directed by Dennis Dugan grossed over $82 million worldwide and retains a cult following to this day. Sandler and Tim Herlihy wrote the pic, also starring Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen and the late Bob Barker, among others.
from Deadline.com
