Happy Gilmore 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the cult-classic ’90s golf comedy, is heading back out onto the green withseveral stars from the original film(and a few newcomers). However,Adam Sandler, who is reprising his titular role, will be taking a big swing without his mentor this time, asCarl Weathers, the actor who portrayed former pro golfer Derick “Chubbs” Peterson in the first movie, sadly passed away in February 2024, shortly before filming on the Netflix feature commenced in September, resulting in a “painful change” to the script.
Sandler recently opened up about the “massive part” that Weathers was set to play inHappy Gilmore 2prior to his death, and the rewrites that were required amid those sad circumstances. “We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part,” Sandler revealed in an interview with Collider. “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 that the story was. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.”
We Hate To Say It, but ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Just Won’t Be the Same Without Our Favorite Character
The late Carl Weathers' presence as Chubbs Peterson will be missed in ‘Happy Gilmore 2.’
The star and co-writer of theHappy Gilmoresequel also shared details of how Chubbs would have returned, bearing in mind that the character met his untimely demise in the first film. He was literally scared to death by a gift that Happy presented him with (the head of the alligator that bit off his hand), which led to a fatal fall from a window. Weathers reprised the role four years later in the Sandler comedyLittle Nicky, showing up as a dance instructor in heaven. According to Sandler, Chubbs would have had a symbolic presence inHappy Gilmore 2:
“In the first version that we came up with, he had a son. He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy.”
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Will Pay Tribute to Carl Weathers
Happy Gilmore 2is directed by Kyle Newacheck from a script co-written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy. Lavell Crawford is set to appear in the film as the son of Happy’s late mentor, ensuring that the spirit of Chubbs is still very much felt through his family. Sandler previously assured fans thatthe follow-up feature will pay tributeto the members of the original cast who have passed on in the nearly 30 years since the first film opened in theaters, including Weathers, Bob Barker, and Joe Flaherty, saying, “somehow they’ll be involved.”
Newacheck doubled down on that in April, saying that the team couldn’t “makeHappy Gilmorewithout Chubbs Peterson.” He added that fans “can be assured his spirit is throughout the [sequel]. He may not be by Happy’s side anymore, but he’s on his shoulder.” Weathers' portrayal of Chubbs inHappy Gilmoreis widely consideredone of his best performances, especially for showcasing his comedic talent, so fans will no doubt be pleased to hear that the filmmaking team behindHappy Gilmore 2have found a way to honor that legacy.
Happy Gilmore 2premieres on Netflix on August 18, 2025.
Source:Collider
Happy Gilmore 2
