Netflix’s Adam Sandler Sequel Had Big Marketing Moves

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.

Even before the trailer dropped in May, the film’s marketing had kicked into gear, with McDonald appearing in character as ***y 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.”

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 Gilmore: 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.