Netflix drove a nostalgia-powered drive straight down the fairway on June 1 by unveiling the first full trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 during its Tudum livestream, confirming a July 25 global release on the service. Nearly three decades after Adam Sandler’s hot-tempered golfer changed the sports-comedy landscape, Sandler returns in senior-tour form, co-writing with longtime partner Tim Herlihy and handing directing duties to Workaholics alumnus Kyle Newacheck.
The two-minute teaser opens with Happy slicing a drive into a parking lot—echoing the 1996 film’s first act—before revealing a battered scorecard and a mortgage notice that set up a redemption arc for the now-58-year-old protagonist. Sandler recently told Travis Kelce’s podcast that the sequel “looks at what happens when the miracle run fades and real life tees off,” hinting at themes of family and regret.
Original antagonists and allies are along for the ride: Christopher McDonald reprises swaggering Shooter McGavin and calls the script “surprisingly heartfelt,” while Julie Bowen’s Virginia again caddies Happy’s emotional growth. The ensemble also ropes in Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny, and an array of PGA Tour heavyweights—including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Paige Spiranac—for cameo swing battles that the trailer tees up as “Happy versus the modern game.”
Production wrapped last December after location shoots at New Jersey courses that drew crowds hoping to spot Sandler’s trademark Boston Bruins jersey between takes. Netflix took over distribution from Universal, marking the latest payoff from the streamer’s 10-film pact with Sandler’s Happy Madison banner and amplifying its 2025 summer slate, which already boasts Will Smith’s Fast and Loose and Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas 2.
Industry watchers see the July date—wedged between major golf tournaments and ahead of the Paris Olympics—as a strategic putt for maximum cross-promotion, with social-media buzz around McEnroe, Travis Kelce, and possible Eminem cameos already trending on Reddit and TikTok hours after the trailer hit. Whether the sequel nails the clutch putt or misses the cup, Sandler’s swing at revisiting one of his most beloved characters has fans and pundits lining up for another round.
