Almost three decades after his (fictitious) Tour Championship triumph, Adam Sandler is back on the links as Happy Gilmore. The official follow-up to 1996’s golf screwball comedy is out Friday on Netflix. Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller and Dennis Dugan are all back in their original roles. It remains to be seen if it’s a worthwhile summertime watch, or if everyone involved should “go back to (their) shanties.” Either way, it got us thinking about all the other sports movies that deserve a part II … or III or IV.
Here’s what my colleagues and I came up with. Drop a comment below with your best (or most wonderfully unhinged) sequel ideas.
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Because I was the one to bring this exercise to our group, I felt obliged to come through with two different out-there offerings. Hollywood can cut the check in advance.
“Fever Pitch”
I’m going with the 2005 one centered around the Boston Red Sox, which is a twist on the 1997 British original about a lovestruck Arsenal superfan. The American version’s leads, played by Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, are expecting a kid at the end of the movie. Canonically, that child is named either Ted Williams Wrightman or (brace yourself, dear reader) Carla Yastrzemski Wrightman.
In today’s timeline, Carla Yastrzemski has indeed inherited her father’s bleeding heart baseball obsession. Now for our twist. In an effort to find her voice and rebel against her suburban upbringing, she becomes a diehard Arizona Diamondbacks fan. Yup! Carla, played by Maisie Williams, is slowly driving away her boyfriend (Jharrel Jerome) … not because of trust issues or a lack of communication or a pesky ex, but because the Snakes can’t get over the NL West hump. Why won’t our protagonist give this promising relationship a real shot? Well, Kevin Ginkel keeps blowing the seventh inning, that’s why. Stay for the post-credits scene, in which Fallon shares a wedding toast with Steve Finley and D. Baxter the Bobcat.
“Eddie”
Suspend your belief for a second and picture this: The New York Knicks have somehow put together their best season in 25 years, then unceremoniously can their head coach without a viable replacement in mind. A Madison Avenue farce breaks out, and a charming, outspoken fan gets the job of a lifetime. The original, which was underappreciated in 1996 (dare we say misunderstood?), starred Whoopi Goldberg as the Knicks’ new coach. There is but one singular actor qualified for the 2025 sequel.
Now, from my tremendously talented and far more rational coworkers:
The Athletic staff picks
“Bend it Like Beckham” (a popular choice!)
This was a groundbreaking film that inspired a generation of young women, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to see themselves in sport. A sequel offers an opportunity to speak directly to the next generation of girls growing up in England and around the world, with a cast that meaningfully represents the diversity of today’s game — including South Asian, Arab and Black players. Women’s soccer has made incredible strides since 2002, but progress has not been equal across all communities. Just this week, England international Jess Carter publicly stepped back from social media in response to the wave of racist abuse she and other players of color have received during the Women’s European Championship. This is a reminder that, while the game has moved forward, the work is far from done. A sequel would celebrate how far we’ve come — while also confronting the barriers that still exist — with the same heart, humor and cultural insight that made the original a classic.
I’d name the 2025 reboot “Bend It Like Bhamra,” with the protagonist Jess Bhamra breaking new ground again — this time as the manager of Leicester FC women’s team, fighting for its first Women’s Super League title. It would make for a high-energy, heartwarming sequel about love, community, identity and standing up for what’s right. Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers would return, and I’d cast newcomers like Adwoa Aboah, Lupita Nyong’o and Margaret Qualley. — Alice Devine, senior art director for global video
I’d love to see “Bend it like Beckham 2” with the women’s soccer/football scene booming far more than it was in 2002. We just cracked the first female transfer over a million pounds in USWNT defender Naomi Girma going to Chelsea. The 2025 Euros have been great, and the NWSL is expanding — so many more opportunities, but also so much more pressure. This would be a great watch considering our current moment. — Sarah Doran, NHL staff editor
“He Got Game”
This one would be “She Got Game,” with Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) now the father and Angel Reese playing the lead. It deserves a sequel because it was a relatable story about a star coming into their own while dealing with family demons. Even though Jesus’ daughter will have grown up in better circumstances, he still struggles with trying to raise her differently than how he was raised. — Dan Santaromita, sports betting senior editor
“Little Giants”
Give me a sequel as soon as possible. It’s a classic that still holds up. For this installment, Becky “The Icebox” O’Shea has a child (gender is negotiable) who is living in her shadow and reckoning with her storied career on the field. They experience the highs and lows of trying to find their way in high school football. Get the “Stranger Things” casting director to find us a teenage child star, bring back Shawna Waldron and let’s get rolling.
Actually, please give me a sequel to every single ’90s/2000s kids sports movie. “The Big Green,” “Like Mike,” “Angels in the Outfield,” “Little Big League,” “Rookie of the Year.” Let’s go full “Karate Kid” on these franchises. — David Ubben, college football senior writer
“The Sandlot”
Anything else would be a big miss. Benny is now a manager, and Smalls is now “killing (us)” as a commentator. Squints and Wendy’s kids are the new Sandlot crew leaders, with the rest of the next-generation names joining them to play ball. Elsewhere, Ham’s wrestling career flames out, so he tries to get the Bambino ball from Smalls to sell for some money.
Wait … two straight-to-video sequels already exist? What?! Surely we’d do it better this time around. — Jake Ciely, senior fantasy sports writer
“Kicking & Screaming”
The 2005 comedy needs a sequel because it’s absolutely ridiculous. Robert Duvall and Will Ferrell are father and son, but they’re also rival kids soccer coaches, and Ferrell recruits his neighbor (Mike Ditka!) onto the sidelines to try to win the big match. I really enjoyed the “get the ball to the Italians” lure in this movie. There is also a lot of draw here because, as of recently, some people are saying that Ferrell isn’t actually funny — and I strongly disagree with them. I’d want to see Josh Hutcherson (who plays Ferrell’s half-brother in the original) as the dad in this one, with Bill Belichick (!) as his neighbor. Again, a totally ridiculous film. Not great at all, but dumb enough to get laughs. — Joe Crisalli, senior video producer
“Cool Runnings”
I’ve always wanted a “Cool Runnings 2,” where the original team gets back together in its older age. Having practiced and excelled at shuffleboard, they decide to make an Olympic bid in curling. “Jamaica … we have a curling team!” They are coached by John Candy’s estranged daughter Melissa McCarthy, who is, of course, an Olympic curler in her own right. — Jonathan MacMillan, games team software engineer
“The Color of Money”
The 1986 Martin Scorsese film was a sequel of its own, as we followed Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) 25 years after he exited Chalkie’s pool hall at the end of “The Hustler.” Fast Eddie, no longer so fast or young, became a liquor salesman, then saw an avenue back into big-time pool by tutoring the ambitious and naive pool prodigy played by Tom Cruise. Their adventure, along with an excellent Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, is a love letter to pool and fighting off aging. It also ends with a perfect avenue to another sequel. I’d cast today’s 63-year-old Cruise as the Newman character, and a younger actor or actress (which would make for a more interesting sequel) to play an up-and-coming pool shark. — Richard Deitsch, sports media senior writer
“The Mighty Ducks”
Yes, this movie has spawned two sequels, an animated series and a show starring Lauren Graham that recently ran for two seasons on Disney+. But it’s time for a follow-up flick set in the present day — and it’s time to bring back Charlie Conway.
Joshua Jackson nostalgia is strong right now, despite the unjust cancellation of his wildly over-the-top show “Doctor Odyssey.” Just this week, it came out that he’s reteaming with Katie Holmes on a movie. And last month, he reunited with Marguerite Moreau (Connie in TMD film franchise) to announce the Anaheim Ducks’ first-round pick at the NHL Draft (Roger McQueen, the name of a Hawks player if I’ve ever heard one). In D4, Charlie is a widowed father whose daughter hasn’t picked up a hockey stick since the death of her mother. Charlie reluctantly takes over for the Ducks after their coach leaves for the Hawks and recruits the Ducks’ best players to follow him. Now Charlie has to assemble a ragtag team, reignite his daughter’s love for hockey, and teach a younger generation the all-important lesson that ducks fly together. Quack, quack, quack, quack … — Sarah Hardy, streaming editor
“Any Given Sunday”
Willie Beamen as a beaten, old veteran QB going into his “last dance” season. It deserves a sequel because it’s one of the only movies that captures the brutal nature of the NFL, and it feels appropriate as ever today. Jamie Foxx should be back. Maybe a cameo from Al Pacino, but I don’t think he should play a major role. Let’s go with Robert Downey Jr. as the GM and Ryan Gosling as the young, offensive whiz kid head coach. — Ted Nguyen, NFL staff writer
“Bull Durham”
Crash, now working at Sears, is approached for a minor league managerial vacancy in Durham, where they’re set to welcome the No. 1 pick for his pro debut. Crash is stunned to learn that the No. 1 pick is the son of Nuke and PLOT TWIST Annie(!), who married Nuke after Crash self-sabotaged their relationship because he remains convinced he’s not allowed to have nice things in this world. But I also feel like “Bull Durham” is such a classic there’s no room for improvement. Who knows, though, maybe I’m just a lollygagger! — Mike Hume, senior fantasy managing editor
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