Later this month, Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems) and Julie Bowen (Modern Family) will return to the links for Happy Gilmore 2, the hotly anticipated sequel to the duo’s 1996 comedy about a hockey player with anger management issues taking up golf to get his grandmother’s house back. Bowen played PGA rep Virginia Venit in the original, who acts as Happy’s (Sandler) guide to the organization and how to keep himself from getting kicked off the tour. Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” podcast, Julie Bowen said she thought she’d get replaced with a younger actress for Happy Gilmore 2, though her fears were unfounded.
“I didn’t think they’d bring me back at all,” Bowen said during the podcast interview. “I mean, who am I supposed to be? He’s got to have a younger woman in this one.”
Don’t sell yourself short, Julie. As funny as Happy Gilmore is, Happy and Virginia’s courtship is the film’s heart. The duo falling for each other gives the comedy a slight romantic edge, and someone needs to keep Happy in line if he wants to win his grandmother’s house back. Thankfully, Adam Sandler had no intention of replacing Bowen with a younger actress.
“Adam’s like, ‘Stop saying that. You’re the heart of the movie,'” Bowen told Rosenbaum. According to Bowen, she was still shocked when she got the call. She even asked if they’d meant to call someone else, particularly after hearing that Sydney Sweeney would play Happy’s love interest in Happy Gilmore 2.
In Happy Gilmore 2, Happy gets back into the game to ensure his kids have the education and future they deserve. Happy isn’t about to let dreams die without a fight.
The cast list includes Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Margaret Qualley, Benito Antonio MartÃnez Ocasio, Eric André, Nick Swardson, John Daly, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Conor Sherry, Ethan Cutkosky, Philip Fine Schneider, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Travis Kelce, Blake Clark, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Paige Spiranic.
In addition to Sandler, the entire creative team also returns. Original Happy Gilmore co-writer Tim Herlihy is returning to write Happy Gilmore 2. Happy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan will serve as executive producer, and Happy Gilmore producers Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds will also produce.
