Adam Sandler said he had to rewrite Happy Gilmore 2 following Carl Weathers ‘ death. The actor and comedian, who is reprising his role as Happy Gilmore in the sequel to his beloved 1996 sports comedy, recently told Collider that Weathers’ Derick “Chubbs” Peterson was planning to return for the new movie before he died last year at age 76 .

“Happy Gilmore,” released in 1996, was Sander and Herlihy’s second movie, following “Billy Madison.” Sandler was just exiting “Saturday Night Live.” Herlihy was Sandler’s roommate at New York University and became a lawyer before Sandler got him to stick to writing comedy. (You might remember the “Herlihy Boy” sketch .)

Carl Weathers had a massive part,” Adam Sandler, 58, revealed in a new interview with Collider. “I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away.” Carl Weathers, Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore.