Happy Gilmore 2: Adam Sandler and Julie Bowen reveal secret behind the tech they used to look young in flashback scenes

Happy Gilmore is back with its second installment after 30 years. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2025. It's a story of a failed hockey player who goes on to become a golf sensation, Happy Gilmore, after he stunned the world by defeating top pro Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) in the 1996 Tour Championship.

After he wins the championship, he secures his first gold jacket and wins back his beloved grandma's house. The sequel in the franchise reveals how Happy’s life has unfolded over the last three decades. Despite not being critically acclaimed, the original Happy Gilmore was widely regarded as one of the most enduring comedy and sports classics of the ’90s, drawing in numerous comedy legends, famous sports figures, and other well-known names for the sequel.

In an interview to Mashable, Happy Gilmore 2 stars Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, and Christopher McDonald discussed the cultural impact of the first film and crucial elements that needed to be included in the sequel. They also spoke about the technology they used in the film’s latest installment to create archival footage of themselves from the last 30 years.


Happy Gilmore 2 features several crucial flashback scenes where they had to make it look like Happy hosted SNL in the 2000s and won multiple PGA championships. According to Sandler, this required “a lot of special effects, more than I’ve ever done before in my life.”

Describing her experience, Bowen said, "You go after every scene; you have to go into this truck with hundreds of cameras... and stand there, and you kind of go, 'Are they stealing my soul?' But they take every single thing about you in that outfit and make you look young," he said.

The Adam Sandler-starring movie opens with Happy (Adam Sandler) and Virginia (Julie Bowen), who have built a family and better lives thanks to Happy’s achievements in golf. But after a family tragedy shakes things up, retired Happy must return to golf to cover his daughter’s education costs. Naturally, his old rivalry with Shooter McGavin (McDonald) stands in his way as he tries to reclaim his place among golf’s all-time greats.

The film has several entertaining cameos from both celebrity guests and familiar faces from the sports and comedy worlds. Several legendary and current golf pros pop up during the film, like Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and Jordan Spieth, among others, sharing the screen with Happy during key tournament scenes.