Netflix has turned Adam Sandler into one of its most reliable stars, and his latest film has pushed that even further. Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel to the 1996 classic, arrived on the platform and immediately broke records.
It reached 46.7 million views within three days and became Sandler’s biggest debut on Netflix and the largest opening weekend for any film on the service in the United States, per Tudum.
Happy Gilmore 2’s Star-Studded Cast and Surprise Cameos
This time, Happy Gilmore is no longer the wild golfer audiences once knew. He is older, widowed, and battling his past, but he steps back onto the course to fund his daughter’s ballet studies overseas.
The film reunites Sandler with Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Dennis Dugan, and Kevin Nealon while adding Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, John Daly, Sunny Sandler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Ethan Cutkosky, and Haley Joel Osment. Besides, cameos from Eminem, Travis Kelce, and Post Malone bring even more attention.
Original Happy Gilmore Sees a Surge in Popularity
The release has also sent viewers back to the original Happy Gilmore, which jumped to third place on Netflix with 11.4 million views, per Flixpatrol. Hotel Transylvania 3 followed, pulling in 4.5 million views as fans looked for more Sandler titles.
For an entire week, Happy Gilmore 2 outperformed KPop Demon Hunters, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Trainwreck: P.I. Moms, Madea’s Destination Wedding, Rampage, The Old Guard 2, and Until Dawn on Netflix’s Global Top 10 movies list.
Critics have been divided when it comes to Happy Gilmore 2, giving it a 61%Rotten Tomatoes score, but audiences seem more forgiving with a 70% rating. Despite that, the film’s nostalgia, familiar faces and Sandler’s enduring popularity have kept the film in high demand.
