Summary

  • Adam Sandler's sequels have consistently received better Rotten Tomatoes scores than the originals since 2013.
  • Happy Gilmore 2 needs to surpass the 62% Rotten Tomatoes score of the original film to continue Sandler's impressive record.
  • The highly-anticipated sequel's success is under pressure to live up to Happy Gilmore's legacy and high Rotten Tomatoes scores.

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.

Happy Gilmore is available to stream on Netflix.

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.

Every Adam Sandler Sequel Since 2013 Has Had Better Reviews Than The Original

Hotel Transylvania 2 Began Adam Sandler's RT Streak

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.

Adam Sandler's Movies & Sequels

Release Date

Tomatometer

Audience Score

Hotel Transylvania

September 28, 2012

44%

72%

Hotel Transylvania 2

September 25, 2015

57%

64%

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

July 13, 2018

62%

49%

Murder Mystery

June 14, 2019

44%

46%

Murder Mystery 2

March 31, 2023

45%

46%

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.

Related
Every Happy Gilmore Character Who Returned In A Different Adam Sandler Movie

Adam Sandler's movies are known for creating crossovers for their characters, but only a few from Happy Gilmore have starred in another of his titles.

Happy Gilmore 2 Has A Huge Challenge After The Original Movie's Rotten Tomatoes Score

Happy Gilmore's Has An Impressive RT Score

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.

Happy Gilmore Textless Poster Showing Adam Sandler Holding a Golf Club Looking Down at a Ball
Happy Gilmore 2
Comedy
Sports

Happy Gilmore 2 is a sequel to the 1996 comedy film starring Adam Sandler. In 2024, the film was officially confirmed, with Sandler set to return as one of his most popular characters. Happy Gilmore 2 will be a Netflix original movie.

Studio(s)
Happy Madison Productions
Distributor(s)
Netflix
Writers
Adam Sandler , Christopher McDonald

Source: Rotten Tomatoes