Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore 2. Credit :

Courtesy of Netflix

• Kyle Newacheck shared with PEOPLE his initial reaction to learning the fate of Julie Bowen’s character, Virginia Venit, in Happy Gilmore 2
• Despite being the director the sequel, he admitted that he “did not see that coming” when he read the screenplay for the first time
• However, Newacheck believes that the plot twist makes “total sense” in the Happy Gilmore universe

Warning: Happy Gilmore 2 spoilers ahead!

You can say that, well, Happy Gilmore has a killer swing.

Kyle Newacheck, director of Happy Gilmore 2, revealed to PEOPLE his initial reaction to learning the unfortunate fate of Julie Bowen‘s character in the Adam Sandler-led sequel film, which hit Netflix on Friday, July 25.

Bowen reprises her character, Virginia Venit, in the comedy classic’s second installment. Within the first four minutes of the film, Venit — who’s since married Happy, welcomed five kids together and started a family — gets killed off, a tragedy caused by her husband.

Her cause of death? Struck in the head by a golf ball shot by Happy.

Kyle Newacheck and Julie Bowen. Frazer Harrison/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty

“I did not see that coming,” Newacheck tells PEOPLE exclusively of Virginia’s storyline, noting that it was already in the screenplay when he read it. “I would never have projected that that was going to be the inciting incident for this movie at the start of it.”

He added, “I was blown away at the choice and I loved it. Absolutely loved it.”

Death by golf ball was a creative choice that tracked in Newacheck’s opinion, given the previous deaths that’ve taken place in Happy Gilmore history.

“It’s like the first one… His father died from a puck to the face,” he recalls of the 1996 original film. “It’s still within the DNA of the universe, so… It just made total sense, but I never ever would’ve guessed it.”

Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit in Happy Gilmore 2. Courtesy of Netflix

Bowen, too, spoke with PEOPLE exclusively ahead of Happy Gilmore 2‘s release on Netflix and weighed in on her death scene.

“When I found out that I was killed on page 12, I started laughing,” the actress told PEOPLE. “I was on vacation with my family, and I had no wifi. I could barely read this thing. I only had my phone, and I was like, ‘Am I seeing this right’? Trying to blow it up.”

“And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m dead. And he kills me’,” she said with a laugh, referring to Sandler’s character. “Then I just started laughing. I just started laughing and laughing and Adam was trying to get through to me. I was on island with no wifi and barely any cell, and we finally connected.”

Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore 2. Scott Yamano/Netflix 

“I go, ‘I don’t care. It’s great. Happy can’t be happy’,” she joked.

Despite Virginia’s unfortunate fate that occurs at the start of the film, Bowen — who’s previously said she assumed a younger actress would replace her in the sequel — was simply honored to be involved in the iconic film’s reprisal.

“It’s just fun to be part of the whole thing,” she said, noting, “Of course, why would I not want to be part of Happy Gilmore, whether I’m a big part, a little part.”

Of Sandler, Bowen added, “It was really important to him to have as many of the original cast members there.”

Happy Gilmore 2 is currently streaming on Netflix.