'Happy Gilmore 2' Effect: Adam Sandler’s Return to Green Sparks Massive Streaming Success and Nostalgic Cheers

Dropped on July 25, the film made an astonishing debut, racking up 46.7 million views in just three days during the week of July 21–27. For those unfamiliar with the metric, views are calculated by dividing total hours watched by the film’s runtime.

This marks the biggest opening weekend ever for a Netflix film in the United States and also sets a new record for Adam Sandler’s movies on the platform.

The sequel’s success has also reignited interest in the original Happy Gilmore, which is currently sitting at No. 3 on Netflix’s global top 10 with 11.4 million views — its second consecutive week on the list. The 1996 comedy, which grossed $40 million at the box office, cemented Sandler’s status as a comedy icon.

It follows Happy Gilmore, a hockey player with anger issues who becomes a golf sensation to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure — all thanks to his wild antics on the green.

Happy Gilmore 2 picks up nearly 30 years later, with Happy retired from golf and turning to alcohol after a disastrous incident. His motivation to return? To fund his daughter’s lavish ballet training in Paris.

The film features familiar faces like Christopher McDonald reprising Shooter McGavin, alongside cameos from PGA stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, plus Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, and even Sandler’s own family — wife Jackie and kids Sunny and Sadie. The cast is sprinkled with fun cameos from Food Network star Guy Fieri and “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans.

Critics seem to love it too; Rotten Tomatoes gives it an impressive 70%, far above some of Sandler’s other comedies like Billy Madison (42%) or Little Nicky (22%).

It’s an exciting time for Netflix fans — whether you’re into nostalgic comedies or gripping dramas, there’s plenty to keep us hooked!