Nearly three decades after hitting the green for the first time, Happy Gilmore returned in Happy Gilmore 2, and its budget was just as expensive as any Marvel movie. Directed by Kyle Newacheck and co-written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy, the sequel follows the former hockey player-turned-golfer as he joins the pro circuit to fund his daughter’s ballet school dreams.

With Happy Gilmore 2‘s cast of returning favorites and celebrity cameos — from Ben Stiller and Julie Bowen to golf legends and musicians — the Netflix film has proven itself an entertaining successor to the first outing, earning a 63% Tomatometer. However, with such a packed cast, it’s no surprise that the budget behind this comedy comeback is substantial.

According to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 had a total production budget of $152.2 million. The sports comedy movie spent 64 days filming in 31 New Jersey municipalities and nine counties. New Jersey public state records reveal that the budget is the highest of any production filmed in the state since 2018.

What This Budget Means For Happy Gilmore 2

The fact that Happy Gilmore 2 carried such a mᴀssive budget is significant for several reasons. Traditionally, comedy sequels, especially those driven by nostalgia, operate on much smaller budgets. Netflix’s willingness to invest over $150 million signals a surprising shift in how the streaming platform approaches content, treating Adam Sandler’s sequel movie with blockbuster-level resources to create a major cultural event.

The New Jersey shoot also had a substantial economic impact locally, with nearly $90 million spent after incentives, due to tax credits and local hiring requirements. Production crews spent an average of $2.3 million, with $1.2 million spent on lodging and $6.4 million spent hiring extras, highlighting how productions like Happy Gilmore 2 benefit filming locations.

Our Take On Happy Gilmore 2’s Budget

Considering Happy Gilmore 2 is a nostalgic comedy sequel, nobody expected the film’s extremely high budget. The first Happy Gilmore only had a $12 million budget, which is absolutely shocking. To put this into perspective, the recent Marvel films The Fantastic Four: First Steps and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine each had a $200 million budget.

With such extreme spending, it’s nice that New Jersey has benefited from these production costs. That being said, the $150 million budget isn’t exactly reflected in Happy Gilmore 2‘s quality aside from the mᴀsses of cameos. ScreenRant‘s Lewis Glazebrook called Happy Gilmore 2 “just fine at best,” and it’s hard to disagree, as much as we want to.