Adam Sandler Says Carl Weathers Was Set to Have a ‘Massive’ Role in Happy Gilmore 2 Before His Death

Carl Weathers was to feature significantly in Happy Gilmore 2 before he passed away, according to Adam Sandler.

The star and co-writer of the Happy Gilmore sequel told Collider in a recent interview that Weathers’ death made for a “painful change” in the new movie’s development. 

“Carl Weathers had a massive part,” Sandler, 58, confirmed. Weathers, who died at age 76 on Feb. 1, 2024, played the one-handed Derick “Chubbs” Peterson — mentor to Sandler’s titular hockey player-turned-golfer — in the 1996 sports comedy. 

“I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away,” continued the Uncut Gems star. “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 movie, Weathers’ character met a comical demise (by falling out of a window after Happy surprised him with the body of the alligator who bit off his hand) and later made an appearance from heaven.

Earlier drafts of Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy’s Happy Gilmore 2 script involved an emotional arc for the deceased Chubbs, per Collider. “In the first version that we came up with, he had a son,” said Sandler. “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.”

Director Kyle Newacheck told the outlet in April that his team couldn’t “make Happy Gilmore without Chubbs Peterson.” He added that fans “can be assured his spirit is throughout the [sequel]. He may not be by Happy’s side anymore, but he’s on his shoulder.”

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After the Rocky star’s death in February, Sandler published a tribute to his Happy Gilmore costar on social media.

“A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always,” he wrote on Instagram. “Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him.”

“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” Weathers’ family said in a statement after his death. “Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.”

Happy Gilmore 2 will be released on Netflix on July 25. Returning cast members Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller and Dennis Dugan are joined by a list of newcomers that includes Travis Kelce and Bad Bunny.