Adam Sandler Says He ‘Worked Hard’ on “Happy Gilmore” Sequel: ‘The Most Excited I’ve Been in Many Years’ (Exclusive)

Netflix confirmed in May that Adam Sandler will star in a sequel to his 1996 golf comedy 'Happy Gilmore' for the streaming service

Adam Sandler is excited to hit the links to shoot his Happy Gilmore sequel!

At the premiere of Sandler's new comedy special Adam Sandler: Love You on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the comedian and actors tells PEOPLE that the prospect of filming the upcoming movie — a sequel to his fan-favorite 1996 golf comedy — has him revved up for production.

"Well, we worked hard trying to write something that we thought people would have a good time with, and I'm more than excited, probably the most excited I've been in many years to shoot something," he says.

Reports began swirling that Sandler was developing a sequel to Happy Gilmore back in March, when one of his costars in the original movie, Christopher McDonald, said during a radio interview on Audacy's 92.3 The Fan that Sandler had recently shown him "the first draft of Happy Gilmore 2." In April, Sandler's longtime friend Drew Barrymore hinted that the movie was in the works after she said she spoke with him.

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Netflix then confirmed that Sandler is teaming up with the streamer for the forthcoming sequel on May 15. While little is known about the movie's plotline, Sandler additionally revealed during his appearance on The Tonight Show on Aug. 20 that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will be among a number of athletes to cameo in the film.

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"We didn't want to let anybody down. People have been asking me for a long time, 'Do Happy Gilmore 2,' and I was always like, 'Nah, I'll only let you down,' " Sandler said during that appearance. "But then me and my buddy Tim Herlihy, we came up with this idea, we're really excited about it, we wrote our asses off, we're continuing to try to make it a movie that you guys will like and I think it's — we're excited. So many golfers are being nice and they're going to be a part of it and all."

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Sandler additionally stated on The Tonight Show that he expects to begin filming the movie in New Jersey in the coming weeks and joked that he needs to further practice his character Happy Gilmore's signature golf swing.

"You know, you have to hop, skip and hit, and I did it recently — it seems simple, so I tried it out. I fell, and I laid there for a while and then somebody brought me a lemonade and I just kind of laid down on the ground drinking a lemonade for a while," he joked to host Jimmy Fallon. "But I'll be ready; when it comes time to shoot, I'm a gamer, man."

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