Adam Sandler reveals he had to make some tough changes to Happy Gilmore 2 after the death of Carl Weathers. It’s been nearly 30 years since Sandler last portrayed the тιтular Bruins jersey-wearing golfer. While many have waited a long time for Happy Gilmore 2, it will be bittersweet to see Happy without his mentor.

In 1996’s Happy Gilmore, Weathers played Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, a former professional golfer who sports a wooden hand after losing his to an alligator. Chubbs becomes Happy’s mentor and coaches him to greatness. Unfortunately, Weathers died in February 2024.

Speaking with Collider, Sandler revealed that Weathers had a “mᴀssive part” in the sequel, and his death forced the comedian to make several changes to the story.

“We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a mᴀssive part. I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl pᴀssed away. 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.”

In the first film, Chubbs dies after Happy surprises him with the head of the alligator that took his hand, causing him to react in fear and fall out of a window. According to Sandler, the sequel would have seen Weathers speak with Happy in his dreams while his son blames him for his father’s death.

“In the first version that we came up with, he had a son. He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy.”

What Sandler’s Comments Mean For Happy Gilmore 2

The Sequel Took A Different Route With Chubbs’ Son

Despite Chubbs’ death in the first film, Sandler still had plans to include him in the sequel. Many other cast members are returning for the sequel, including Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Dennis Dugan, as well as Christopher McDonald, who returns as the villainous Shooter McGavin. Chubbs wouldn’t have been left out, and Sandler found a clever way to bring him back.

However, those plans changed, as indicated by Chubbs’ son. In the trailer, Sandler is seen speaking with his son, played by Lavell Crawford. He tells Happy that his dad loved him, before Happy accidentally breaks his prosthetic hand. While Chubbs’ son could have held a grudge against Happy for his dad’s death, Sandler went a different route with the character, judging by the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer.

Our Take On Sandler’s Comments

Carl Weathers Will Be Missed

Weather was a mᴀssive star in the 1970s and 1980s, starring in films like Rocky and Predator. The actor had some renewed fame among younger audiences in the 2020s thanks to his role as Greef Karge in The Mandalorian. He had so much charisma and an engaging presence, and his role as Chubbs showed he had comedic chops as well.

Weathers’ absence will be felt in the upcoming sequel, but it’s good that Sandler decided to honor him by referencing his character in the film. There’s still plenty to look forward to in Happy Gilmore 2, like all the celebrity guest stars, including Travis Kelce, Post Malone, and Rory McIlroy. However, it will be missing a beloved actor when it premieres on Netflix on July 25.

Source: Collider