‘Happy Gilmore 2’ kills off major character in opening four minutes of movie
SPOILER ALERT: Almost 30 years after the original movie, Adam Sandler has finally delivered Happy Gilmore 2, now available worldwide on Netflix, but not every major character makes it through the film.
In the build-up to the movie being released on the global streaming giant, information about the storyline was deliberately kept firmly under wraps, with Netflix only offering the brief synopsis: “Happy Gilmore isn’t done with golf — not by a long shot. Adam Sandler’s short-fused legend swings for a comeback to make his kid’s dream come true.”
At the beginning of the new movie, Happy tells viewers in a voice-over about how his life has changed dramatically over the last three decades. The golfer explains how his relationship with Virginia Venit continued to blossom, leading them to live happily ever after with four sons and a daughter.
However, the perfect life for Happy and Virginia, played by Julie Bowen, soon comes to a dramatic end within the first four minutes of Happy Gilmore 2 being on screen.
While practising his golf swing, a ball goes haywire and accidentally lands on Virginia’s head, tragically taking her life. Now, in light of her sad passing, Happy leaves his golfing days behind to focus on being a single dad to their five children.
Despite Bowen’s character may have been killed off within the opening few scenes of the movie, she does still make a series of appearances in Happy Gilmore 2 from beyond the grave.
Sandler’s fans have been crying out for Happy Gilmore 2 for many years, and for a long time, it looked like it would never happen. The comedian explained to ABC News earlier this week: “When I walk down the street a lotta times people will say, ‘you ever gonna do Happy Gilmore 2?’ And for 28 years, I was like, ‘What are you talking about? No.’ And then all of a sudden I was like, ‘Maybe.'”
The former Saturday Night Live star explained of the plot: “He’s older. He’s a little thicker, as you can tell from one of these camera angles. But Happy Gilmore’s life isn’t perfect right now at the beginning of the movie. And he’s a family man, and he’s gettin’ back into the golf game.”
Meanwhile, Sandler recently revealed he originally planned a “massive part” for the late Carl Weathers in Happy Gilmore 2. Weathers appeared in Happy Gilmore as golf coach Derrick ‘Chubbs’ Peterson, and Sandler wanted the character to return for the sequel, but his plans were thwarted by the actor’s death in 2024.
He shared: “We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part. 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.”
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