Adam Sandler fans have received a special Christmas surprise that’s been 28 years in the making.
The trailer to Happy Gilmore 2, the sequel to the iconic 1996 sports comedy, was released on Wednesday (US time) during Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday Live event.
It’s the first look we’ve had at the movie, due for release next year.
Watch the video above.
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Happy Gilmore, which tells the story of a hockey reject-turned-golfer, is one of Sandler’s most popular films and helped cement him as one of the leading comedic stars of the ’90s.
Sandler has remained a fixture in the film industry in the years since, starring in and producing his own films through his production company, Happy Madison Productions.
The highly-anticipated sequel stars Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Dennis Dugan, Allen Covert and Ben Stiller, who are reprising their roles from the original comedy.
Happy Gilmore 2 will focus on the titular character, who has now entered himself into a senior golf tour.
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The role of pro-golfer Shooter McGavin will again be played by McDonald, and Bowen will reprise her role as Sandler’s love interest, Virginia Venit.
It was announced in November that Stiller wouold be returning to the cast in his original role of Hal L, who also featured in Sandler’s 2020 film, Hubie Halloween.
Happy Gilmore 2 will be the 13th production on which Sandler collaborates with writing partner Tim Herlihy.
The writer previously worked with the actor on Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey in the early 1990s.
Kyle Newacheck, who directed Sandler in Netflix’s Murder Mystery, is also involved in the exciting project.
Sandler also announced the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer on his Instagram, writing: “Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And Happy Gilmore to all!!!!!!”
Newcomers to the Happy Gilmore 2 ensemble include rapper Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, Nick Swardson and Benny Safdie, who wrote and directed Sandler’s Uncut Gems film.
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NFL superstar Travis Kelce also stars in the film, making a cameo in the teaser and saying, “It’s great to see you back, Mr. Gilmore.”
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In an interview with The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in August, Sandler talked about how the sequel came to be.
“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,'” he said.
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“But then me and my buddy Tim Herlihy, we came up with this idea. We’re really excited about it. We wrote our asses off. We’re continuing to try to make it a movie that you guys will like.”
Bowen also spoke about the upcoming film, revealing that she is excited about the celebrity cameos with Today Extra host David Campbell.
The film is expected to debut on Netflix sometime in 2025 after its announcement in May.
“We’re in week three of shooting and it’s remarkable to see how excited people are about this film,” she said.
“I’m not allowed to discuss it, but certainly everybody associated with golf ever and in pop culture, in rap, athletes of all stripes, it’s bananas how many people are in this movie, but it’s really fun.”
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