Dennis Dugan, director of Happy Gilmore, is returning to the screen for the upcoming Netflix sequel, Happy Gilmore 2. Dugan, who is also an executive producer for the film, will reprise his role as Doug Thompson, the professional golf tour commissioner, a character he first portrayed in the original 1996 comedy. The sequel, directed by Kyle Newacheck, is currently in production, although a release date has not been revealed.
Adam Sandler will once again star as the titular Happy Gilmore, the former hockey player turned unlikely golf sensation. Several key cast members from the original, including Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and Ben Stiller, will return, while new faces like Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, and Scott Mescudi will join the cast. Additionally, Travis Kelce and professional golfer John Daly are set for cameos.
Sandler, Tim Herlihy, Robert Simonds, and Jack Giarraputo are returning as producers, with Sandler and Herlihy co-writing the screenplay, just as they did for the first film. Happy Gilmore, originally released by Universal in 1996, became a beloved cult classic and remains one of Sandler's most popular films.
Dugan, who previously directed Sandler in a number of hit comedies such as Big Daddy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Grown Ups, has also helmed films like Problem Child and National Security. More recently, Dugan directed the 2020 comedy Love, Weddings & Other Disasters, starring Diane Keaton, and wrote and starred in The Audition, a one-act play that was staged in New York earlier this year.
Before transitioning into directing, Dugan started his career as an actor, appearing in cameos across many of his films. His recent acting credits