Adam Sandler Forced to Rewrite Happy Gilmore 2 After Heartbreaking Loss
Adam Sandler has opened up about the emotional shift behind the making of Happy Gilmore 2, revealing the devastating reason the script had to be rewritten: the death of his co-star, Carl Weathers.
Weathers, best known for his iconic roles in Rocky and Predator, passed away last year at the age of 76. In the original Happy Gilmore, released in 1996, he stole scenes as the unforgettable Chubbs Peterson — a role that was meant to have a bigger presence in the upcoming sequel.
“We had a painful change,” said Sandler. “Carl Weathers had a massive part.” The actor, now 58, spoke to Collider about how the team was excited about Weathers’ return, despite Chubbs’ death in the first film.
“I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away. We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.”
Fans will be gutted to hear just how central Weathers’ character was going to be. Sandler explained: “In the first version that we came up with, he had a son. He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of Daddy.”
Plans clearly shifted dramatically. While Chubbs won’t return in physical form, the emotional weight of his character remains — embedded into the plot and heart of the story.
And it’s not just Sandler who’s back. Much of the original cast is returning, including Julie Bowen, who reprises her role as Virginia Venit, Happy’s love interest from the first film. The Modern Family star confessed on the Inside of You podcast that she didn’t expect to be asked back.
“I didn’t think they’d bring me back at all,” she admitted. “I mean, who am I supposed to be? He’s got to have a younger woman in this one, Happy Gilmore 2.”
But Sandler, it seems, had other ideas. Bowen shared, “Adam’s like, ‘Stop saying that. You’re the heart of the movie.”
Netflix is bringing the sequel to screens on 25 July, with original stars in tow and a host of new faces — including Margaret Qualley, Eric André, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, Sunny Sandler, and even Eminem- the film is shaping up to be one of this summer’s biggest comedy events.
Fans in the UK and beyond are already gearing up. And while it’s a celebration of nostalgia and laughs, there’s also a clear undercurrent of tribute — to a character, a friend, and a legend who left too soon.
Happy Gilmore 2 hits Netflix globally on July 25.
