Adam Sandler opens up about painful ‘Happy Gilmore 2′ changes after Carl Weathers’ death

Adam Sandler has revealed that Carl Weathers was meant to play a big role in the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2 before his death earlier this year. The news comes as the movie gets ready for its Netflix release on July 25.

According to People, the original Happy Gilmore, released in 1996, featured Weathers as Chubbs Peterson, a one-handed golf instructor who helped Sandler’s character become a successful golfer. Ironically, this role left Weathers in excruciating pain for 4 years due to the physical demands of the character. Weathers died peacefully on February 1, 2024, at the age of 76.

“I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away,” Sandler told Collider in a recent interview. “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.”

The original story included Chubbs’ son, who blamed Happy for his father’s death

Before Weathers’ death, the movie’s script had a storyline about Chubbs’ son. Sandler explained that in the first version, the character of Chubbs would appear in Happy’s dreams, and his son would be angry at Happy for causing his father’s death.

Director Kyle Newacheck has promised that even though Weathers won’t be physically present in the movie, his spirit will be felt throughout the sequel. He mentioned that while Chubbs Peterson may not be by Happy’s side anymore, he will be on his shoulder.

The upcoming sequel will bring back several original cast members, including Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Dennis Dugan. New faces joining the cast include Travis Kelce and Bad Bunny.

Following Weathers’ death, Sandler shared a touching tribute on Instagram, calling him “a true great man” and praising his roles as a father, actor, and athlete. Weathers’ family also released a statement noting his exceptional life and the lasting impact he made through his work in film, television, the arts, and sports. Before his acting career, Weathers played as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders before transitioning to become one of Hollywood’s most beloved character actors.