Happy Gilmore 2 trailer: Adam Sandler is a zen master in teaser for upcoming Netflix sequel

Is Happy Gilmore actually … happy? Or, at least, content-ish?

The formerly hot-headed golfer either found meditation or anger management counselling because he seems to be much more zen in the just-released trailer for the upcoming sequel.

He’s not yelling at anyone, he’s not shaking with rage and is, generally, not losing his s—t.

On the one hand, that’s great! Nearing 60, it would be pretty sad if he was still a tempestuous manchild. The world has enough of those. On the other hand, will rusted-on, old-school fans accept a version of the character who isn’t spraying fury everywhere he goes?

That doesn’t mean there won’t be someone throwing a fit. The trailer features a glimpse of Bad Bunny as Happy’s bowtie-wearing caddy breaking a club over his knee. Maybe Happy has outsourced his worst impulses?

It’s taken 29 years for Adam Sandler to bring back Happy Gilmore, one of his most beloved big-screen creations.

In 2024, Sandler told Jimmy Fallon that he’d been hesitant to do a sequel.

“People have been asking me for a long time, ‘Do Happy Gilmore 2’ and I was always like, ‘Nah, I’ll only let you down’.

“But then me and my buddy, Tim Herlihy, we came up with this idea. We’re really excited about it.”

He also told People that the team had worked hard on something that he believes audiences will enjoy and that he was “more than excited, probably the most excited (I’ve) been in many years to shoot something”.

Before Sandler confirmed the sequel was in the works, Christopher McDonald, who played Happy’s rival Shooter McGavin, and Drew Barrymore, a friend of Sandler’s, both essentially said that it was happening.

Sandler said last year that many real-life golfers were very into the idea of a sequel and the production seems to have dragooned quite a few of them to appear in the film, including Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and John Daly.

Other famous faces – Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer – appear in bust form, cast in iron alongside that of Happy Gilmore’s visage and “beaver teeth”.

In the sequel, after years away from the game, Happy is looking to make a comeback, but he’s burdened with a heavy dose of self-doubt over whether he still has what it takes. As we see in the trailer, he still has a crazy powerful swing, to the point he rips a hole right through a virtual gaming screen.

He might be less ragey but a lot of other things remain the same, including his love of the Boston Bruins hockey team, and an even greater love for Virginia (Julie Bowen).

Also returning is McDonald, Allen Covert as Otto and Dennis Dugan as Doug. Ben Stiller, who had an uncredited role as an abusive orderly in the original film, will reprise his role.

Director Kyle Newacheck and co-writer Herlihy both worked on the 1996 film as well.

Newcomers to the Happy Gilmore universe include Bad Bunny, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), Margaret Qualley and Benny Safdie.

Blake Clark, who played the nipple pinching Farmer Fran in The Waterboy, will portray the character again. Him popping up here, and also in Joe Dirt, reinforces the idea that all of Sandler’s movies are part of a shared universe.

Previous crossovers have included Carl Weathers’ Chubbs Peterson who was in Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky, and Dan Patrick’s cop in The Longest Yard and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

The original Happy Gilmore remains one of Sandler’s most popular titles and was part of his early run of movies which also included The Waterboy, Billy Madison and Big Daddy that all centred on underdogs.

Happy Gilmore 2 will premiere on Netflix on July 25