The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, part of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, said Aug. 19 that sports comedy film “Happy Gilmore 2” had a total qualified spend of $152.5 million during its total of 64 days of filming in the state. The Adam Sandler sequel, which premiered last month on Netflix, nearly 30 years after the original film, utilized the NJEDA’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program.
“Happy Gilmore 2” is one of Netflix’s latest projects that was filmed in New Jersey. Other Netflix productions that have filmed in the state include “Nonnas” and “The Irishman” and upcoming movies “The Whisper Man,” “72 Hours,” and “Office Romance.”
Netflix has committed to expanding its presence in New Jersey and recently broke ground on a 500,000-square-foot production facility at Fort Monmouth. The entertainment company’s $1 billion investment is expected to create permanent production jobs and construction-related positions, creating economic opportunities for local residents and boosting community revitalization.
Since the state’s film tax credit program was reinstated in 2018 by Gov. Phil Murphy, “Happy Gilmore 2” had the highest qualified spend of any production filmed in New Jersey. The film’s average spend per day was $2.3 million. The production spent $1.2 million on lodging and $6.4 million on hiring extras.
“Happy Gilmore 2” showcases New Jersey’s exceptional versatility in doubling as a variety of locations,” said Jon M. Crowley, executive director of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. “From golf courses and universities, to airports, beaches, and quintessential suburban neighborhoods, New Jersey has everything a production company desires.”
“Happy Gilmore 2” filmed in 31 municipalities and nine counties in New Jersey. The exterior of the Gilmore home was filmed at a private home in Irvington and the interior was filmed at a private home in Belleville. New Jersey golf courses featured in the movie included Beacon Hill Country Club in Atlantic Highlands; Fiddler’s Elbow in Bedminster; Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield; Closter Golf Center; Alpine County Club in Demarest; Farmview Golf Center in Hackettstown; Rockleigh Golf Course; Essex Golf Center in Roseland; and Montclair Golf Club in West Orange.
Other notable filming locations include Newark Liberty International Airport, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, and the former Essex County Isolation Hospital in Belleville. All four sites are popular filming locations and have been featured in other major films and television shows.
“Happy Gilmore 2” had the largest opening weekend ever for any Netflix movie in the United States, according to ScreenRant. It received 46.7 million views in its first three days on Netflix, the highest opening weekend for any of Sandler’s Netflix films.
Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison Productions, chose New Jersey again to film a new project. In recent weeks, the teen musical “Don’t Say Good Luck” has filmed in Cranford, Livingston, and Ridgewood.
