HAPPY GILMORE 2

Nearly three decades after Adam Sandler first hit the green in the 1996 cult classic Happy Gilmore, the legendary character returns in Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2, bringing nostalgia and comedy to a whole new generation. The sequel, directed by Kyle Newacheck, reunites Sandler with original cast members Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Christopher McDonald, while introducing fresh faces including music superstar Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Benny Safdie, Ethan Cutkosky, Philip Fine Schneider and Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

Behind the laughs and outrageous golf antics, the film relies on some impressive visual effects to bring its wildest moments to life—and that’s where Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) comes in. Renowned for its creative artistry and cutting-edge technology, RSP contributed nearly 150 shots across 11 sequences, with around 90 artists working for more than eight months to make the magic happen.

Associate VFX Supervisor Darwin Go and VFX Producer Rachel Copp led the work internally, collaborating closely with overall VFX Supervisor Marcus Taormina and VFX Producer Mare McIntosh. For RSP, the project was a blend of fun, technical complexity, and creative innovation.

“Our work on Happy Gilmore 2 was incredibly diverse and technically challenging,” Darwin Go said.

The scope of RSP’s involvement was wide-ranging. The team delivered set extensions and digital clean-up to ensure golf courses looked pristine for key tournament scenes and created digital matte paintings to enhance a cemetery sequence featuring engraved tombstones of past characters. They animated CG golf balls that needed to feel both physically believable and comically entertaining—a surprisingly complex task.

“Golf balls are not as easy to animate as you might think—especially in a comedy,” said Go. “We explored countless iterations to strike the right balance between realism and humour, and the collaborative process with the filmmakers was fantastic.”

Fire and snow effects were also key to the film’s over-the-top extreme golf tournament scenes, along with explosions for a golf cart crash that combined challenging plates, CG elements, and compositing wizardry to bring everything together seamlessly.

“This project reflects what RSP does best: blending artistry with innovation and creativity,” said RSP Executive Producer Ian Cope. “We’re thrilled to have been part of this iconic cult classic.”

From spectacular golf shots to moments of pure nostalgia, RSP’s work on Happy Gilmore 2 highlights the studio’s ongoing commitment to delivering stunning visuals for its clients. For Darwin and the entire crew, the project was as much fun as it was technically demanding. “It was a real privilege to work on a film that’s so iconic and loved,” said Darwin. “There were challenges, but the collaboration and results make us very proud.”

Happy Gilmore 2 is now streaming worldwide on Netflix.