Adam Sandler has revealed he was hesitant to ask Eminem for a favor, but the rapper ultimately agreed to appear in "Happy Gilmore 2" — and it's already proving to be a hit for Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX).
Sandler Opens Up About Asking Eminem For Cameo
During a July appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Sandler admitted he initially didn't want to trouble Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, with a request for a cameo in the sequel to his 1996 comedy classic.
"I love Eminem. I’m friends with Eminem, but I don’t want to bother the man. And everyone kept saying, ‘Man, Eminem would be so funny in this part,'" he recalled.
Adding, "And I was like, ‘I don’t want to ruin this guy’s time. He’s hanging out. He’s in Detroit. He’s doing his life, making records.' And then I started going, ‘But it certainly would be funny if he did it.'"
Despite the reluctance, Sandler said the role — a character named Donald Jr., son of Joe Flaherty's character from the original — was too perfect for the rapper to ignore.
Eventually, he called Eminem and said, "Dude, I know it's a pain in the a**, but it's pretty funny," to which the rapper responded positively, telling Sandler to send "the stuff."
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Sandler And Eminem Go Way Back
The actor also shared that their friendship began years ago after a Saturday Night Live afterparty where Eminem was performing with Dr. Dre.
"He looked at me, and I looked at him like, ‘Oh yeah. That kid’s pretty damn cool.' And then he goes, ‘Bobby Boucher!' I go, ‘Oh yes, that's what's up, Marshall.' Then we became friendly after that," Sandler recalled, referencing his character from The Waterboy.
Netflix Scores Big With Happy Gilmore 2 Premiere
Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 has proven to be a major hit. Since its debut on Netflix on July 25, the film soared to the No. 1 position on the platform's movie chart. Garnering 46.7 million views within just three days, it marked the biggest opening weekend ever for a U.S. film on Netflix.
Netflix Revenue And Guidance Also On the Rise
Netflix reported second-quarter revenue of $11.08 billion, up 16% year-over-year, beating Wall Street estimates. The company is projecting third-quarter revenue of $11.53 billion and EPS of $6.87, both above expectations. Full-year revenue is now expected to fall between $44.8 billion and $45.2 billion.
The streaming giant also highlighted its upcoming content lineup for the latter half of 2025 during the earnings. This lineup includes titles such as "Wednesday," "Stranger Things," "Frankenstein" and the live boxing event between Canelo and Crawford.
Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro data, Netflix shares have climbed 30.66% year-to-date and surged 88.81% over the past 12 months.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings show that while NFLX exhibits short-term downward momentum, it maintains a strong upward trend in both medium- and long-term periods. Despite a solid momentum score, the stock’s value rating lags. More detailed performance insights can be found here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy+: Jgphotographydetroit via Shutterstock
