Let's see just how much WWE exposes the business in this new trailer for Unreal
Netflix has posted a new trailer for season one of the show, which focuses on the road to WrestleMania 41. The trailer offers an inside look at what's going through the minds of WWE stars like Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, Chelsea Green, Jey Uso, and more.
Let's see just how far back WWE is pulling that curtain:
I think one of the more interesting aspects of the trailer is when Triple H talks about 'all these alternative universes where you play them out in your mind as to what is the best.' Wrestling fans who are curious about the inner workings of the business eat up those kinds of what-if scenarios.
For example, did WWE have any alternate ideas in mind for the men's 2025 Royal Rumble winner besides Jey Uso? And of course, is there a chance that Cody Rhodes actually could have sold his soul to The Rock at Elimination Chamber and turned heel instead of John Cena? What exactly went into that decision-making process?
The backstage talks with WWE stars seem less interesting to me, as I think they are all naturally a little cautious about saying too much when the camera is on them in that situation. In promoting the show this week, CM Punk even said he's not the best guy to sell it, because he's always been taught to protect the business.
Despite what some people think, it doesn't seem at all to me like WWE is hurting the pro wrestling business by doing this show. In fact, Triple H is sure it will get fans even more invested in the WWE product as he says, 'When you see the behind-the-scenes, I don't know how you can't fall in love with the business.'
After watching this trailer, how hyped up are you to watch WWE: Unreal? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders.
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Tom's Guide
26 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
‘Happy Gilmore 2' ultimate cameo guide — from Haley Joel Osment to Post Malone
"Happy Gilmore 2" landed on Netflix on Friday, July 25, almost 30 years after Adam Sandler's failed hockey player turned unorthodox golf sensation stunned the world by trouncing top pro Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and winning back his beloved grandma's house. Less than 24 hours after its release, the long-awaited sequel is already breaking the internet. Netflix's latest original is packed with familiar faces and cameos that have everyone talking. Sandler reprises his role as the hot-headed golfer, and he's joined by an even more star-studded cast than the original, including Christopher McDonald as Happy's nemesis Shooter McGavin, Ben Stiller as Hal L, and Julie Bowen as Virginia Gilmore. All the sequel's hype has even landed the original 1996 film in the Netflix top 10 list as viewers eagerly revisit one of the most enduring '90s comedy classics. Just be sure to watch the first "Happy Gilmore" sooner rather than later; you only have until August 1 to fit in a double feature, as it's one of 48 movies leaving Netflix next week. As in the first film, "Happy Gilmore 2" includes several jaw-dropping cameos that you'll have to see to believe. The sequel introduces a ton of new characters, including Sandler's daughter Sunny as Happy's daughter Vienna, Bad Bunny as Sandler's caddy Oscar, and dozens of real-world golfers, musicians, and celebrities that Sandler somehow roped into appearing in the film. With so many celebrity cameos popping up left and right, it's practically impossible not to miss one or two. Just be warned: We're discussing major plot details from "Happy Gilmore 2," so there's plenty of spoilers ahead! From Haley Joel Osment as a surgically-enhanced golf pro to Travis Kelce as a golf fanboy waiting tables, here's who to look out for in "Happy Gilmore 2" this weekend. Bad Bunny as Oscar Mejías Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. With Happy coming out of retirement and back on the green, he needs a new caddy to be his right-hand man. The Puerto Rican hitmaker Bad Bunny plays Oscar, a good-natured busboy who takes on the job. It's the popstar's latest movie cameo after we saw him in 2022's 'Bullet Train' and 2021's "F9: The Fast Saga." Steve Buscemi as the neighbor Long-time Sandler collaborator Steve Buscemi makes an early cameo in "Happy Gilmore 2." After Happy loses his grandma's house for a second time following Virginia's death, he and his daughter are forced to move to a seedier side of town. Buscemi plays their new oddball neighbor. Post Malone as DJ Omar Gosh In the film's climax, the final tournament commentators are joined by a flamboyantly dressed fictional celebrity, DJ Omar Gosh, played by none other than music star Post Malone, who remains unmistakable even through all that bling. Eminem as Donald Jr. Joe Flaherty played Happy's biggest heckler Donald in the original film, and now his son, played by rapper Eminem, is back to take up the mantle. Haley Joel Osment The '90s child star plays rival golfer Billy Jenkins, who sports a powerful swing like Happy. Benny Safdie as Frank Manatee A co-director on "Uncut Gems" alongside Sandler, Benny Safdie plays the main villain in "Happy Gilmore 2": Frank Manatee, the halitosis-stricken mind behind Maxi Golf, a new stunt-based golf association intended to rival the long-established Tour Championship league. His inclusion is a knowing wink to fans of Sandler's other works. Ken Jennings as himself While watching TV early on, Happy is surprised to see his name appear as an answer on an episode of "Jeopardy." And who better to host the show than real-life game-show host Ken Jennings? Cam'ron The rapper makes an appearance as himself. Kid Cudi The rapper plays an FBI agent. Margaret Qualley, Eric André, and Martin Herlihy When he's at a new low, Happy is grouped with three amateur golfers in what they think will be a game-changing golf lesson. They're played by comedian and actor Eric André, "The Substance" star Margaret Qualley, and "Saturday Night Live's" Please Don't Destroy in-house sketch troupe member Martin Herlihy. Guy Fieri The Food Network star plays a character named Maxi Starter. Sean Evans The star of First We Feast's iconic talk show Sean Evans plays himself. Bobby Lee Comedian Bobby Lee also plays himself. Dan Patrick as Pat Daniels The legendary sportscaster appears as the host of Sports Hole with Pat Daniels, who breaks the news of Happy's drunken hijinks at the municipal course. Kym Whitley as Bessie The comedian plays an overenthusiastic friend of Happy's. Marcello Hernandez as Esteban Another "Saturday Night Live" cast member, Hernandez plays a character named Esteban. John Daley as himself A real-life unorthodox golf legend known for his anti-establishment attitude, John Dayly, seems a perfect fit for the world of "Happy Gilmore." We see him spending his retirement squatting in Happy's garage, where he seems to fill a pseudo-uncle type role in Happy's family. Travis Kelce as the waiter Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Taylor Swift's boyfriend shows off his acting chops in a memorable scene that involves a shirtless Kelce, a jar of honey, and a very hungry bear. Kelsey Plum and Andrew Watt When Happy returns to the municipal golf course to test his swing after a decade of boozing and inactivity, he's greeted by the course starters, who are played by WNBA star Kelsey Plum and Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, widely known for his work with legends like the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pearl Jam, earning him the nickname 'the Rock Hall of Fame whisperer.' The Tour Championship golfers Pro golfers Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris (who also played the caddy Happy chokes out in the original), Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka all play alongside Happy in the U.S. Bank Tour Championship. Scheffler, DeChambeau, McIlroy, and Koepka later join Happy to defeat the Maxi League golfers. Tim Herlihy, Nelly Korda, and Nancy Lopez On the parole board at the Westford State Mental Hospital that deems Shooter unfit for release is Drs. Hertz, Young, and Silver. They're played by "Happy Gilmore" co-writer Herlihy, current #1 ranked golfer on the LPGA Tour Korda, and former LPGA superstar Lopez. Veteran sportscasters The longtime ESPN personalities Stephen Smith, Chris Berman, and Jim Gray appear as themselves. Reggie Bush as 8 Ball The Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL running back appears as the character 8 Ball. Verne Lundquist The legendary sportscaster returns in "Happy Gilmore 2" after appearing as a golf commentator in the original. Sean Avery and Chris Chelios The retired NHL stars play a pair of henchmen. Rebecca Quin and Nikki Bella The WWE wrestlers play characters named Flex and Medusa. Fernando Marrero The pro wrestler plays a character named Screech. Boban Marjanovic The former NBA cult favorite and "John Wick" actor makes a cameo as a zealous Happy Gilmore fan named Drago Larson, the son of the character played by the late Richard Kiel. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
NBC Sports
27 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
This six-time PGA Tour winner served as Adam Sandler's double in 'Happy Gilmore 2'
Adam Sandler didn't hit all of Happy Gilmore's shots in recently released 'Happy Gilmore 2.' Hunter Mahan hit some, too. The 43-year-old Mahan, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, served as Sandler's golf swing double in the film, which was released on Netflix on Friday. 'When they called and said Happy Gilmore needs a golf swing double, I said say no more,' Mahan said. Mahan also shared a video montage of his transformation into Happy, as well as some other moments from filming and the red-carpet premier last week. Six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan was Adam Sandler's "golf swing double" for Happy Gilmore 2. He shared some behind-the-scenes footage of his transformation into Happy. 🎥
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
'Happy Gilmore 2' is absolutely wonderful
The legacy sequel has transformed itself into one of the ugliest reanimations in modern Hollywood, the crass puppetry of a once-beloved corpse dancing to the same song-and-dance that made it so cherished in the first place. Shame-soaked nostalgia dollars flutter about like ugly butterflies in a trash garden, destined to put on the same "dead dog and dead pony" show for fearful audiences afraid of any ounce of originality until the unforgiving entertainment machine runs out of caskets to mine and the whole movie world falls off a cliff. And then there's Happy Gilmore 2. Leave it to Adam Sandler, perhaps the most beloved American entertainer this side of Mickey Mouse and Tom Hanks, to putt the golf ball through the most byzantine mini-golf fun house from Hell and nail the shot to keep himself under par. Happy Gilmore 2 is just baked with too much love to reek of what dooms its colleagues. In one way, you could view Happy Gilmore 2 as a triumph of affable stupidity, a sequel so awash in the hallmark Sandler rage-man physical comedy that it manages to feel fresh... if only because Hollywood has practically abandoned the genre entirely for "comedic" superhero movies that smirk at the screen as if any insinuation of comedy at all is some sort of naughty cooke jar-snatching that big daddy corporation didn't see while reading the newspaper... the kind that would make even Wade Wilson blush. Last summer's Deadpool and Wolverine actually owned its identity of being a straight-up comedy as opposed to something dreadful like Thor: Love and Thunder (shutters in Zeus), but even then, it was still a Deadpool and Wolverine movie. Marvel putting out the biggest comedy of the decade so far just feels wrong, even if the movie was indeed funny. Yes, a Happy Gilmore Netflix movie in 2025 replete with countless cameos from golf professionals, Sandler regulars, podcast hosts and sportscasters plays to the broadest audience possible. The humor is wack-a-mole wide, the callbacks to the original so plentiful and obvious that you can almost count this as a double-bill on Letterboxd with just one sit on the couch. However, everything feels hand-stitched, as if an entire community of people who love Happy got together and crafted a big quilt to wrap themselves in nearly 30 years later. The warmth radiates from the screen. Unlike a big-budget Hollywood legacy blockbuster where nostalgia cuts the checks and the corporate "reverence" for what came before feels AI-generated to appeal to the most shameless part of our brains' art-processors, Happy Gilmore 2 feels pleasantly overstuffed out of adoration. Sure, most of the film is flatly ridiculous, the lowest-hanging fruit basket being passed around for everyone to take one and pass it down. Characters punch and choke each other out of sheer glee; another drinks hand sanitizer to get a buzz. One man on a beach thinks he's watching a Happy Gilmore golf match on television, but in reality, it's just a rock in a makeshift box. One character goes to the bathroom in a mailbox. Like all of Sandler's movies, the cheap joke is the best joke, and the school cafeteria belly laughter is real and wonderful. Think about the star for a moment and where he is now. After years and years of pushing it away, Sandler's recent forays into auteurism have fulfilled the tantalizing promise of Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People. Even in his screwiest of comedies, he showed off the volcanic range and crestfallen heart of a truly generational actor. Uncut Gems in particular felt like an answered prayer. Watching the Sandman getting sandbagged down with heartless 2010s Netflix comedies made you question if he had finally just settled. The grand pleasure is that Happy Gilmore 2 shows that even a new Sandler Netflix comedy can make you scream-laugh to the point of waking up your dog and bothering your neighbors. By plowing shamelessly into the original film beat-for-beat but still awakening something oddly profound on the passage of time with how so many of the 1996 film's actors have departed from this golf course for the other, Happy Gilmore 2 plays as both a Happy Madison fan convention smorgasbord and a group hug for the past, present and future. Happy Gilmore 2 also arrives like a godsend in a world where studio comedies have fallen to the wayside. Consider that modern comedy has mainly shifted into other genres and into the indie space, where witty banter and situational ironies tend to rule the day. They're incredibly funny, but the other side of the spectrum, the kind that studios used to pump out in the summer with the Sandlers of the world for mass appeal, have nearly gone extinct. Perhaps that makes a big, doofy Happy Gilmore sequel all the more commendable with its themes of mourning the people we've lost and saving the traditions we care about while we have them. The film's villain is a tech-bro who wants to turn golf into a glitzy rizz-fest with color-run fireworks and brash stunts to appeal to the TikTokers and Twitch streamers who don't have time for the love of the game. As much as you absolutely cannot read any supremely deep text in a movie where a honey-drenched Travis Kelce gets attacked by a bear in Bad Bunny's "happy place" dream, you feel the Sandler-dad wisdom trying to slap around the young'uns a bit to appreciate the old ways and cherish the familial bonds that keep them aflame. Happy Gilmore 2 is the funniest movie of the year so far by default, if only because no other movies really try to go for laugh-a-minute comedy like this any longer. The new Naked Gun movie will surely challenge it, but why can't the audiences of today get their own Happy Gilmores and Frank Drebins to cherish anew? It's an unfortunate irony that the surest bet at getting a major comedy project off the ground in 2025 is to dust off an old character and put a new shine on them to appeal to nostalgic business sense. No, Happy Gilmore 2 can't stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor because that's outright impossible. However, it can bundle in the laughter in equal measure and mess around so much with the very nature of a legacy sequel that some of its most shameless callbacks feel inspired, almost a parody of its serious brethren. Yes, there is infinitely more integrity with Chubbs Peterson having a son who works at a mini-golf course who also has a fake hand than whatever the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hook was with Shea Whigham being Jon Voight's kid out of nowhere. Those two movies mirror each other. Tom Cruise's sacrifice-for-the-movies adrenaline and Christopher McQuarrie's James Cameron/Brian De Palma-tinged set-piece excellence go blow-for-blow with Sandler's ageless comedic timing and immaculate facial expressions and his and co-writer Tim Herlihy's masterful ability to mine nonstop gags out of the most ludicrous visuals. Watching Cruise's underwater submarine ballet in the latest Mission: Impossible is incredible; watching golfer John Daly try to drink booze out of an antique cuckoo clock is, too. Where Happy Gilmore 2 succeeds and the latest Mission: Impossible fails all has to do with the approach. The latter is bound to sincerity in its most cringey throwbacks because it's downright, well, impossible to wink a bit at the audience at how silly this all is. A Sandler comedy has the freedom to have its nostalgia cake and throw it across the room to instigate a food fight. During a scene at a graveyard, headstones of characters long gone from the original start popping up in spades. A few of those would have induced eye-rolls; a bunch of those, even of the most random side characters, makes for great meta-humor. Comedies give you the ability to check yourself a bit, as the wedgie-giving ombudsman comes in to readily acknowledge a lot of this is looney tunes. A streak of sadness dyes the current, as the reason Happy falls off the golfing map is the kind of shock revelation a Happy Madison production probably doesn't aim for 10 years ago. The world kept spinning while Gilmore was swatting golf balls with a hockey goon's might, and it wasn't always kind to our favorite golfer like we might have hoped. Dad-Sandler has always been the most sentimental version of himself, and his kids aging right in front of his eyes and starting to leave the nest seems to weigh on him and his renewed take on Gilmore. This and Wes Anderson's excellent The Phoenician Scheme both dive into similar subject matter with equal gusto, of a father reckoning with his children and his place in providing for them. There's a world-weariness to Happy this time around in the way Sandler carries him that both compels the film's most jarring narrative choice and grounds some of the film's far, far sillier antics. That approach gives Sandler's performance added gravitas and the entire film around him a paternal watchfulness that would've played as unearned earlier in his filmography. There is no doubting Sandler's commitment to the project as you might could have in the past; he's all in, and so is everyone around him. The older Sandler has gotten, the more his traveling-theater approach to making movies has taken on new meaning. Even in his biggest comedic misfires, the community Sandler keeps with him on his Happy Madison projects has always endeared. He takes care of his own, and that love shows through here more so than in any other project he's ever worked on. The rampant cameos would be gratuitous if the people staffing them didn't seem so genuinely thrilled to be there. Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin getting dragged back into the fold would feel forced if McDonald didn't treat the role like it was the true opportunity of a lifetime. There's no way in heck Verne Lundquist wears that blazer in the film's third act if he's not tickled to be back in this world. Heck, all of the brand-name golfers in the cast seem to relish the chance to act with Sandler and actually buy into the material. Do you know how much of a comedic achievement it is that three of the funniest people in this movie are Daly, Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris? Daly plays with the kind of comedic fire that we sometimes praise to the extent of pushing them into awards talk; he's really that inspired with his fearlessness to be as zany as possible. Sure, Happy Gilmore 2 is still a legacy sequel at its core, replete with brand endorsements and adorned with Super Bowl-commercial rascality. However, it's the rare legacy sequel that feels purposeful and human-driven. The film reaches for real profundity, as much as you can find in a Happy Madison movie. It's a movie with a good soul, as affably crude and dingy as Sandler's landmark works and operating with the same level of zeal. Does all of it work as well as it could? Nah. Does every joke land? Probably not. Is it messy? Most certainly; all of Sandler's comedies have been to a degree. However, it's still so much better than so many other films like it. The world is a better place when Sandler is making comedies like this. Hubie Halloween felt like a nice change of pace, and Happy Gilmore 2 feels like the grand return to that high-wire fire hydrant style of Sandler funny business. It's painfully fully and surprisingly wistful for its place in time. We need Sandler to keep tapping into his dramatic potential; it's why his decision to work with Noah Baumbach again on Jay Kelly is so encouraging. However, we also need Sandler firmly planting his feet in the comedic worlds where he's the smartest idiot in the room with a heart of gold, and we all love him for it. Watching Sandler succeed with everyone cheering him on as those signature Happy Gilmore needle drops hit might make you just a wee bit misty... and not because it's an uncaring algorithm programming "Nostalgic Feelz" for the most basic audience possible. When it's earned and it's real, there's nothing like going back to your happy place with the people you love.
