July 18, 2025: Carl Weathers was set to play a major role in Happy Gilmore 2—until his unexpected passing forced a major emotional rewrite, according to Adam Sandler.
In a recent interview with Collider, Sandler, 58, confirmed that the late actor had a “massive part” in the sequel. Weathers, who died on February 1, 2024, at age 76, famously played the fan-favorite mentor Derick “Chubbs” Peterson in the original 1996 sports comedy.
“I would talk to Carl, and we were excited,” Sandler said. “Then Carl passed 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.”
While Chubbs had already met his comedic end in the first film — falling out of a window after a run-in with an alligator — the original sequel script had big plans to bring his presence back in a meaningful way.
“In the first version we came up with, he had a son,” Sandler revealed. “He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and his son was mad at Happy for causing the death of his dad.”
Director Kyle Newacheck shared that the team struggled with the loss of such a beloved character. “You can’t make Happy Gilmore without Chubbs Peterson,” he said. “He may not be by Happy’s side anymore, but he’s on his shoulder. His spirit is throughout the sequel.”
After Weathers’ passing, Sandler shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram: “A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always… Everyone loved him.”
Weathers’ family also issued a touching statement, calling him “an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life” and someone who left an “indelible mark” across generations.
Happy Gilmore 2 premieres July 25 on Netflix, with original stars Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Dennis Dugan returning. New faces include Travis Kelce and Bad Bunny—ensuring Chubbs’ legacy will live on, even if he’s no longer physically in the game.