After 30 years,Happy Gilmoreis getting back on the golf course. The sequel to the hit ’90s comedy,Happy Gilmore 2, is set to stream on Netflix on July 25. It will followAdam Sandler’s Happy as he comes out of retirement to pay for his daughter’s ballet school.Several cast members from the original are returning, with one notable exception.
Carl Weathers' Chubbs Peterson was Happy’s mentor in the original film, a retired golf star who took Happy under his wing. That is, until the character’s untimely end. Carl Weathers sadly passed away in February 2024, shortly before filming on the sequel commenced in September. We don’t know if he would have appeared, perhaps in a flashback or as a spirit guide. Although it’s not immediately clear,the new trailerdid give us a hint that Happy will be working with the next generation of the Peterson family. Chubbs was a standout in the original 1996 film, and fans will miss his presence.Even if they honor Chubbs' legacy with his son, it won’t feel quite the same. So let’s take a look at just how this sequel might fall apart without one of the key players from the original.
Chubbs Was a Standout in ‘Happy Gilmore’
Happy Gilmore
We all know the story ofthe firstHappy Gilmore. Volatile hockey player enters golf tournament to save grandma’s house from foreclosure. It was one of the biggest comedies of the ’90s, helping to cement Adam Sandler as an A-list leading man. The iconic cast of Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, and Kevin Nealon are all set to come back for the sequel. But the late Chubbs Peterson is not among them.
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Chubbs and Happy first meet at the batting cages, where Chubbs tries to convince Happy to take up golf. After disinterest at first, Happy relents when Chubbs tells him about the prize money for winning the next open. Realizing that the money could help him get his grandma’s house back, Happy agrees. Chubbs advises the novice golfer on the course, forming a genuine mentor/friendship in the process. That is, until Happy presents Chubbs with the head of the alligator that ate his hand as a gift. We all know how that ends. And if you don’t… It’s not exactly ahappyending.
Most fans of the original will agree that Chubbs was a breakout favorite. Much of that success was due to the way that Weathers played the role. Chubbs was a serious golfer who genuinely wanted to bring out the best in him. He also provided occasional comic relief thanks to the ridiculous saga of his hand injury. The wooden prosthetic that’s repeatedly broken, the eye of the alligator he inexplicably carries everywhere with him, the name “Chubbs” itself. All legendary. Sandler has confirmed that the film willpay tribute to Weathersin some way, though we don’t know exactly how.
‘Happy Gilmore’ Is Not the Same Without Chubbs
Weatherspassed away in February 2024, three months before the sequel was formally announced in May. As such, we don’t know for sure if he would have made a cameo. Sure, Chubbs is dead, but that didn’t stop them the first time around. One of the memorable final shots of the original is Chubbs, his alligator, and Abraham Lincoln all waving down at Happy from heaven. At least the three are all together again with the May 2025 real-lifedeath of Morris the alligator. We could have seen Chubbs appear in flashbacks, or as a ghost offering Happy wisdom from beyond the grave. The logic in Sandler movies isn’t always 100% sound.The last time we saw Chubbs was as a dance instructor in heaven inLittle Nicky. It could have worked here.
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Sadly, the film does not include Chubbs this time around. But that doesn’t mean the Peterson family isn’t represented. In the new trailer, Happy meets Chubbs' son (Lavell Crawford). It’s only a brief cameo, but the family connection is clear, right down to the identical wooden prosthetic hand.We don’t know how much Chubbs Jr. will factor into the plot, but his inclusion is the film’s attempt to honor the standout from the original. Perhaps it will be a reversal of the original, with Happy serving as a mentor to Chubbs' son. But will it be the same?
Sorry to say, but probably not. Chubbs Jr. isn’t necessarily going to be a bad character. He simply isn’t his father.Happy Gilmore 2will not be the same without Chubbs. He brought something special to the original as one of the only people who truly believed in Happy’s ability as a golfer. If Chubbs believed, then the audience could believe too. Happy never would’ve seriously considered golf if Chubbs hadn’t discovered him. That alone is enough to cement his place in film history. But add to that the fact that Chubbs is just the right blend of straight man/absurd comic relief. We have a winner.Happy Gilmore 2brings plenty of cameos and returning stars, but they won’t shine as bright without the legend that was Chubbs Peterson.Happy Gilmore 2is available tostream on Netflix on July 25.StreamHappy GilmoreonHuluandPeacock.
