1996's Happy Gilmore is one of Adam Sandler's best rom-coms, being endlessly hilarious and quotable in the decades since its release. It's finally getting a sequel, and hype is high for the upcoming Sandler movie after Happy Gilmore 2's trailer arrived online. Julie Bowen is reprising her role as Virginia Venit, although she recently explained why she thought that wasn't happening. And yes, Sydney Sweeney is involved.
What we know about Happy Gilmore 2 has been evolving as it gets closer to its release those with a Netflix subscription. The first trailer had a ton of callbacks to the original, including a brief appearance by Bowen. The Modern Family star spoke to THR about reprising her role, and hearing a rumor about Sweeney getting a role. In her words:
I thought, ‘Well I won’t be in it.' And that was OK — it was like Virginia Venit, it’s been 30 years, he’s got a hottie. He’s got some little bitty on the side, like a cart girl. As a matter of fact my children told me, before I was even told officially that there was a Happy Gilmore sequel, my now 18-year-old said, ‘Mom, I hear they’re doing a sequel and he’s with Sydney Sweeney as a cart girl.'
Virginia is the romantic lead of the original Happy Gilmore, with she and Adam Sandler's titular character connecting throughout its 92-minute runtime. But Bowen assumed that he'd get a new, younger co-star for the sequel... especially as rumors swirled about Sydney Sweeney.
After hearing about said rumors from her child, Bowen tells the outlet about her initial reaction to that (fictional) casting. She joked, saying:
I went, I’m hurt and I so respect that move. Of course, why wouldn’t you? So when I got the call that I was actually in it, I was like, ‘Are you sure? Come on.'
While Happy Gilmore 2 will bring newcomers like Margaret Qualley and Bad Bunny, it's also going to be full of familiar faces. That includes Julie Bowen, as well as Ben Stiller, Christopher McDonald, and Kevin Nealon. And no, Sydney Sweeney isn't expected to have a role.
Exactly how Virginia will factor into the story of Happy Gilmore 2 is largely a mystery, as she only appeared twice briefly in the movie's first trailer. Rather than being a sequel no one asked for, fans have wanted to see Happy and the crew return for years. This means that people will likely be tuning in when it arrives on Netflix, although there is also an expectation to meet.
All will be revealed when Happy Gilmore 2 arrives on Netflix July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list. Clearly Adam Sandler's on a roll with the streamer and is showing no signs of slowing down.
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