Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2 set a new benchmark for film production spending in New Jersey, recording a total qualified expenditure of $152.5 million over 64 days of shooting, the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission reported. The Adam Sandler sequel, which premiered last month, made extensive use of the state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program.
According to New Jersey Business Magazine, The production filmed across 31 municipalities in nine counties, including locations ranging from golf courses and universities to suburban homes and airports. Notable sites included Beacon Hill Country Club in Atlantic Highlands, Fiddler’s Elbow in Bedminster, and private homes in Irvington and Belleville. The production spent $1.2 million on lodging and $6.4 million hiring extras, averaging $2.3 million per day.
Netflix has expanded its footprint in the state with a $1 billion investment in a 500,000-square-foot production facility at Fort Monmouth. The project is expected to create permanent production jobs and support construction-related employment, generating economic opportunities for local communities.
Officials highlighted that since reinstating the film tax credit program in 2018, Happy Gilmore 2 represents the highest qualified spend by any production in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s film and digital media incentives have reportedly helped attract major productions in recent years. At this rate, the Garden State might just be the next Hollywood.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.