Slim Shady got back into his acting bag with a small role that actually pays homage to the 1996 original, as he plays the son of Donald, who was the character portrayed by the late comedian Joe Flaherty.

Long-time Sandler collaborator Steve Buscemi makes an early cameo in "Happy Gilmore 2." After Happy loses his grandma's house for a second time following Virginia's death, he and his daughter are forced to move to a seedier side of town. Buscemi plays their new oddball neighbor.

With the possible exception of Billy Madison, 1996’s Happy Gilmore is Adam Sandler’s crowning big-screen comedy achievement. Thus, Happy Gilmore 2, a 29-years-later sequel premiering now on Netflix, has a (relatively) high bar to clear.

It’s clear from the clip that footage from the original film was recycled, but it was a nice nod to Barker and the rest of the gang, and in lieu of The Price Is Right jokes, the new film opted to reference Jeopardy!, including a clip in which Vienna plays a clue reading by Ken Jennings out loud as players fail to guess Happy’s name.

Adam Sandler is officially back on the green after "Happy Gilmore 2" dropped on Friday ... and, while many actors from the first flick are back, the new faces in the cast -- like Eminem -- are doing their best to capture the vibe of the 1996 classic.

Release Date: July 25, 2025 Directed By: Kyle Newacheck Written By: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler Starring: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Bad Bunny, and Ben Stiller Rating: PG-13 for strong language, crude/sexual material, partial nudity and some thematic material Runtime: 114 minutes

“Happy Gilmore,” released in 1996, was Sander and Herlihy’s second movie, following “Billy Madison.” Sandler was just exiting “Saturday Night Live.” Herlihy was Sandler’s roommate at New York University and became a lawyer before Sandler got him to stick to writing comedy. (You might remember the “Herlihy Boy” sketch .)

Sandler co-wrote Happy Gilmore 2 and it’s clear he’s putting a lot of his own perspective into the movie. It’s a story about a former icon who is a beaten down, alcoholic mess surrounded by absent friends. Sandler’s aware of his age and seems to be injecting a cognizant sense of real mortality into the story of Happy Gilmore.