After almost 30 years since the first movie premiered, Happy Gilmore 2 is happening, and while expectations are high, the upcoming film is also under pressure to continue Adam Sandler’s Rotten Tomatoes streak. Netflix confirmed that Happy Gilmore 2 is officially in development, but the only known details are that Sandler will reprise his role as the eponymous character and is involved in writing the script. The actor’s production company, Happy Madison Productions, is attached to the sequel, as Sandler and Netflix signed a major film deal years ago, and the actor has released numerous movies through the streaming service since.
Of course, many hope that some of the cast members from Happy Gilmore will return in the sequel, but Happy Gilmore 2‘s characters (aside from Happy Gilmore) and plot details have yet to be revealed. One thing is for certain, though, when it comes to the highly-anticipated upcoming sequel — the original film set the bar very high, and it will be difficult for the new one to live up to Happy Gilmore‘s success and legacy. The second movie also has the weight of continuing Sandler’s Rotten Tomatoes streak on its shoulders.
Following the release of Grown Ups 2 (which received worse reviews than its predecessor) in 2013, Adam Sandler’s sequels have performed better than their original films (at least, in terms of the Tomatometer). Hotel Transylvania, which premiered in 2012, has a 44 percent Tomatometer score, while Hotel Transylvania 2 received a 57 percent score in 2015. Then, the franchise’s third installment, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, obtained the series’ first “Fresh” score — 62 percent. Additionally, Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2 has a 45 percent Tomatometer score, which isn’t much higher than the first movie’s 44 percent, but it’s still better.
Consequently, Happy Gilmore 2 must obtain a better Tomatometer score than Happy Gilmore to continue Sandler’s impressive Rotten Tomatoes record. It is one of the actor’s only sequels in development, so, it will likely be his next released follow-up film. However, Happy Gilmore 2 surpassing the original movie’s score will be a difficult goal to achieve.
Following its premiere on February 16, 1996, Happy Gilmore received a 62 percent Tomatometer score and an 85 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. The sports comedy is one of Adam Sandler’s few “Fresh” films and is considered by many to be one of his best movies of all time. So, it’s going to be hard for Happy Gilmore 2 to earn a score higher than 62 percent on the Tomatometer to continue Sandler’s streak, but it’s not impossible.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes