Hollywood’s woke elite thought they buried Adam Sandler years ago.
They tried everything to cancel his comedy empire.
And Adam Sandler just delivered one Netflix victory that left jaws on the floor.
Sandler crushes Netflix records with Happy Gilmore 2
The entertainment industry spent years trying to destroy Adam Sandler for making movies that regular Americans actually wanted to watch.
Hollywood hated that his simple, family-friendly comedies consistently outperformed their woke garbage.
But Sandler got the last laugh when his long-awaited sequel Happy Gilmore 2 absolutely demolished Netflix viewership records.
Happy Gilmore 2 launched on Netflix on July 25 and immediately shot to the number one spot on the platform’s top 10 English-language movies list.¹
The numbers tell the real story – and they’re spectacular.
The sequel generated 46.7 million views over just three days – with Netflix measuring views as total hours watched divided by total runtime.²
This makes it the biggest U.S. opening weekend of all time for a Netflix film.²
That’s not just a Sandler record – that’s a record for any movie in Netflix history.
The smart money knew this was coming, but Hollywood executives still have their jaws on the floor over the massive success.
Sandler has starred in nearly a dozen original movies for Netflix, including Murder Mystery, Hubie Halloween, and The Week Of.³
But none of them came close to matching the explosive debut of Happy Gilmore 2.
Original Happy Gilmore proves timeless appeal
Here’s what the Hollywood suits don’t understand – Sandler’s appeal isn’t going anywhere.
The sequel’s massive success even boosted interest in the original Happy Gilmore, which hit number three on Netflix’s global top 10 list with 11.4 million views.⁴
Consider this: the original movie came out nearly 30 years ago in 1996, yet it’s still pulling massive audiences in 2025.
That’s the kind of staying power that drives Hollywood insiders crazy.
The original Happy Gilmore generated $40 million at the box office and helped cement Sandler as one of the biggest comedy stars of his generation.⁵
Americans are hungry for entertainment that doesn’t lecture them about politics or social justice.
They want to laugh without being told they’re terrible people for enjoying simple comedy.
Star-studded cast delivers fan service
Sandler brought back Christopher McDonald to reprise his role as the maniacal pro-golfer Shooter McGavin.⁶
But he also packed the sequel with appearances from current stars like Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, and Benny Safdie.⁷
The cameos include PGA champions Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, "Hot Ones" host Sean Evans, and Food Network star Guy Fieri.⁸
Sandler even included his real-life wife and kids – Jackie, Sunny, and Sadie – in the cast.⁹
The difference between Sandler and Hollywood’s woke crowd comes down to authenticity.
While other celebrities virtue signal about causes they don’t understand, Sandler makes movies with his actual family and friends.
That genuine approach resonates with audiences who are tired of being preached to by actors who live in gated communities.
Critics forced to admit Sandler’s winning formula
Even the critics – who spent decades trashing Sandler’s movies – can’t ignore the sequel’s massive appeal.
For context, the original Happy Gilmore earned a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which as Variety noted is basically a rave in Sandler’s filmography.¹⁰
Compare that to his other comedies: Billy Madison sits at 42%, Big Daddy at 39%, and Little Nicky at 22%.¹¹
Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman called Happy Gilmore 2 "a happy orgy of raucous fan-service nostalgia."¹²
That’s exactly what audiences wanted – nostalgia for a time when comedies didn’t come with political agendas.
The real lesson here is that Hollywood’s war on traditional comedy has backfired spectacularly.
While studios waste billions on message movies that nobody watches, Sandler keeps delivering exactly what audiences crave.
Netflix proves streaming dominance over woke Hollywood
Netflix’s massive investment in Sandler content is paying off in ways that traditional Hollywood can’t match.
The streaming giant gave Sandler the creative freedom to make movies his way – without studio executives demanding woke messaging.
The results speak for themselves.
Happy Gilmore 2 didn’t just break Netflix records – it proved that Americans will show up for quality entertainment that respects their intelligence.
Meanwhile, Hollywood’s latest woke blockbusters are bombing at the box office because audiences are rejecting their political preaching.
The entertainment industry spent years trying to convince America that Adam Sandler was irrelevant.
Instead, he just delivered the biggest movie opening in Netflix history.
That’s got to leave the Hollywood elite wondering what other "irrelevant" stars might be ready to embarrass them next.
¹ Variety Staff, "Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Debuts to 46.7 Million Views, Biggest Netflix U.S. Film Opening Ever," Variety, July 30, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Ibid.
