Julie Bowen (left) and Adam Sandler attend the 'Happy Gilmore 2' premiere. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment With Friday's streaming launch of Adam Sandler's comedy sequel Happy Gilmore 2, Netflix has made sure to tap the movie into the public consciousness. Ever since Netflix confirmed last year that it was making a sequel to Adam Sandler's popular 1996 movie, Happy Gilmore, fans have been eagerly awaiting the follow-up. Director Kyle Newacheck's new movie sees Sandler reprise his role as an unlikely golfer known for his long drives. Bad Bunny, Benny Safdie and Haley Joel Osment are among the cast additions alongside returning stars Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen and Ben Stiller. Related Stories Movies 'Happy Gilmore 2' Review: Adam Sandler's Netflix Sequel Is Terrible -- and Fans Will Love It TV 'Hitmakers' Review: Music's Biggest Pens Struggle to Make a Hit of This Shallow Netflix Reality Series About Pop Songwriting Even before the trailer dropped in May, the film's marketing had kicked into gear, with McDonald appearing in character as cocky golfer Shooter McGavin at the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament months prior. Then, the trailer's release proved to be a big success, according to the streamer. "People love the original movie," Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria told the audience during the film's premiere at New York's Lincoln Center. "When we released the trailer, fans went nuts. It's the best trailer performance we've had for any Netflix film." Christopher McDonald (left) as Shooter McGavin and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore 2. Scott Yamano/Netflix As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, Netflix capitalized on this momentum with moves including brand partnerships with U.S. Bank, Callaway, Topgolf and Subway, with the latter featuring prominently in both movies. The ads for Subway center on McDonald, who is also the face of the sandwich spot's Happy Gilmore meal. "Subway was a big part of the first one, and so they stepped up and wanted to be in the second one as well," McDonald recently told THR. "Luckily, we had some great writers from the Happy Gilmore camp who gave me some really fun lines." Other unique methods of spreading awareness for Happy Gilmore 2 included transforming the iconic Times Square ball into a golf ball with the titular character's likeness. Additionally, Sandler appeared in character at last month's NHL Draft to announce the pick for Happy's favorite hockey team, the Boston Bruins, and the star even had his own category on Jeopardy! this week. "Capturing the tone of the iconic first film and preparing fans for the next chapter is a lotta pressure," says Netflix vp of films marketing Jonathan Helfgot. "You gotta harness the good ideas, block out the bad. Harness. Good. Block. Bad." The exec adds, "In all seriousness, Happy is the ultimate disruptor, and it was so much fun to push the limits on this campaign in his style. You could feel the excitement growing with every beat, and it won't stop now that we've released. We can't wait to celebrate fans' new cult-favorite moments every step of the way." Indeed, the excitement does continue, with Netflix announcing Friday that easter-egg video game Happy Gil

MORE: Golf Mayhem '98 Demo is now available to members on eligible TVs and Netflix.com. The retro game allows fans to golf, square off against familiar foes and generally cause mayhem. It's enough to send Happy Gilmore to his happy place. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Logan Lerman Logan Lerman Spent 100 Hours in Bed for His New Film - and Loved Every Minute united kingdom 'Top Boy' and 'Eddington' Star Micheal Ward Charged With 2 Counts of Rape by London Police Heat Vision 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Rockets to Marvelous $24.4M in Box Office Previews Wes Anderson Where to Watch 'The Phoenician Scheme' Online Sarajevo Film Festival Stellan Skarsgard to Receive Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at Sarajevo Film Fest Margaret Qualley 'Happy Gilmore 2' Review: Adam Sandler's Netflix Sequel Is Terrible - and Fans Will Love It Logan Lerman Logan Lerman Spent 100 Hours in Bed for His New Film - and Loved Every Minute united kingdom 'Top Boy' and 'Eddington' Star Micheal Ward Charged With 2 Counts of Rape by London Police Heat Vision 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Rockets to Marvelous $24.4M in Box Office Previews Wes Anderson Where to Watch 'The Phoenician Scheme' Online Sarajevo Film Festival Stellan Skarsgard to Receive Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at Sarajevo Film Fest Margaret Qualley 'Happy Gilmore 2' Review: Adam Sandler's Netflix Sequel Is Terrible - and Fans Will Love It