- Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a former All Elite Wrestling World Champion
- The 28-year-old had a scene in The Iron Claw
- Travis Kelce is also on board for a cameo in the upcoming Netflix sequel
Adam Sandler’s upcoming and long awaited Happy Gilmore sequel has just received some added muscle in the form of a former wrestling world champion.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known by his ringname of MJF, has officially signed onto the Netflix project, marking his second foray into acting, after the scene he shot for last year’s much lauded Von Erich family biopic The Iron Claw.
And while his scene in the Sean Durkin directed drama was eventually cut, we should be expecting to see plenty more of the former All Elite Wrestling champion on the silver screen in the very near future.
Friedman’s character is not yet known, with the film’s plot being kept tightly under wraps for the time being. What is known, however, is that Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald will reprise their roles from the original film and that Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Mr. Taylor Swift Travis Kelce will be making a cameo in the sequel.
Friedman won’t be the only star with wrestling chops contributing to the Gilmore sequel, though, as sometime WWE Superstar Bad Bunny has also been confirmed for the movie.
The project is being overseen by director Kyle Newacheck, who is working from a script penned by Sandler and Tim Herlihy. It was a film Sandler never believed he would make, despite the original being such a resounding, beloved success. Featuring the late, great Carl Weathers and one of the all-time great cameos in Hollywood history from Bob Barker (a former guest host of WWE Monday Night Raw, to keep the wrestling theme running), Happy Gilmore was a major commercial success, grossing $41.2m from a $12m budget.
The regular violence involved in the first Gilmore should make Friedman feel right at home, given the former AEW Champion has been involved in some brutally violent bouts during his five year tenure in the Jacksonville based promotion. The youngster has bled profusely in many of his matches and know how to make a beating look as believable as possible while also dishing out a convincing looking one at the same time. Which should make him a perfect fit for the fairways with Sandler and co.
(h/t Deadline)
