Why Will Ferrell Turned Down $29 Million for the 'Elf' Sequel
Sometimes quality matters!
Elf is a classic holiday movie that certified Will Ferrell as one of Hollywood's biggest stars. It became a Christmas classic that is played all the time on TV, starting this time of year. So why didn't we get any sequels to the biggest hit of Ferrell's starring career?
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ferrell talks about being offered $29 million to play Buddy again. The money was certainly right, but when it came to the story, he thought it was pretty bad. And Ferrell couldn't justify getting paid that much to release a movie that people may not love as much as the original.
Ferrell said, “I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I couldn’t just turn down that much money.' And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.'”
It's kind of nice to hear an actor liked his original so much that he wasn't willing to go back to that world.
While we don't know if they were bringing back the original team, I do wonder if Ferrell would think about returning after all these years if the idea was right. Either way, Elf will go on as a favorite for years to come.
Let us know what you think in the comments.