At the last Kings game of the year, Will Ferrell revived one of his most iconic characters: Buddy the Elf. Attendees at the game immediately spotted Ferrell in costume, pointing out that Buddy looks worse for wear. Ferrell doesn't look too pleased with a sad grimace, drink in hand, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He's obviously hamming it up for the theatrics, which is hilarious.
What's sad is the Kings game was a perfect opportunity to film an Elf tie-in, and the studios fell asleep on it. New Line Cinema has no plans for the character, but a seasonal promo would've been appropriate for the occasion regardless. Ferrell didn't seem to mind playing up the part for the crowd, so he probably would've been willing to improvise a couple of lines. The SNL alum is known for turning everything into a bit, making a skit right up his alley.
Fans hoping Ferrell was teasing an upcoming sequel by appearing in costume at the Kings game should temper expectations. He's gone on the record saying Elf (2003) worked best as a standalone movie, ruling out the possibility of a sequel. New Line Cinema even offered Ferrell a deal to return for $29 million, except he refused.
Details about a potential sequel are remarkably minimal. Early scripts, however, point to a time jump of ten years. The proposed sequel would've included Buddy and Jovie's daughter as well, and seemingly explains the time jump. A ten-year-old would be much easier to film and have Ferrell bounce lines off compared to a baby.
It's probably for the better that Elf 2 never saw the light of day. Ferrell showed little enthusiasm for a sequel, then paired with problems behind the scenes, production may have been a disaster waiting to happen.
Apparently, Ferrell didn't get along with the movie's director, Jon Favreau. The beefs got so intense Ferrell included a clause in his contract that would prevent him from being in Elf 2 if Favreau directed the sequel. And it wasn't just a rumor mill spewing nonsense. Elf co-star James Caan also noted how the pair didn't get on. When asked about a sequel, Caan remarked that it would never get made because of the vibes between Ferrell and Favreau.
Sequels aren't always necessary, either. Fans sometimes become preoccupied with studios making another movie in their favorite series, they fail to acknowledge how much goes into moviemaking. When something doesn't line up, the whole project can collapse. Imagine what a poor relationship between the director and the central star would do.
Elf (2003) is currently streaming on Hulu, Disney Plus, and MAX.