Director Kyle Newacheck has shared his initial reaction to the surprising plot development at the start of Happy Gilmore 2, which premiered on Netflix on July 25.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Newacheck revealed he was unaware of the major storyline involving Julie Bowen’s character, Virginia Venit, until reading the completed screenplay.
“I did not see that coming,” he said. “I would never have projected that that was going to be the inciting incident for this movie at the start of it.”
Virginia, now married to Happy Gilmore and mother to their five children, is killed off in the film’s opening moments after being struck in the head by a golf ball hit by her husband.
Newacheck noted that the choice made sense in context. “It’s still within the DNA of the universe,” he said, referencing the original 1996 film in which Happy’s father dies after being struck by a hockey puck.
Bowen also addressed the plot in an interview, recalling her reaction when reading the script while on holiday. “When I found out that I was killed on page 12, I started laughing,” she said.
Despite the outcome, she was pleased to be part of the sequel. “Of course, why would I not want to be part of Happy Gilmore?” She added that Adam Sandler was committed to involving original cast members in the sequel.
Happy Gilmore 2 is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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