LAST CHRISTMAS
Elf star reveals why he turned down eye-watering sequel payday- as he admits fears beloved classic ‘could be the end’
He even had doubts about the original before it was released
ONE of the stars of Elf has revealed why he turned down an eye-watering payday for the sequel.
The beloved Christmas film turned into an instant classic the moment it was released back in November 2003.
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Will Ferrell, 57, starred in the hit film alongside the likes of Peter Dinklage, Mary Steenburgen, and Zooey Deschanel.
Elf focussed on a character named Buddy, a human who was raised at the North Pole by elves before he returned to New York.
As he searched for his biological dad (James Caan), chaos soon ensued for all.
The production became popular with fans and it was a commercial success across the world, grossing over $228million (£180 million).
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This was against a meagre $33million (£25.9million) budget in comparison to the takings at the box office.
As we approach the festive period, for many it's a time where the film is at the very top of fans playlists.
It's been reported over the years that a sequel to the film was written and the studio would have paid $29million (£22.7million) for Will to reprise his role.
However, he decided to walk away from the attempted franchise, because he did not feel the story was up to par.
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In an interview with , he explained his decision: "I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I just couldn’t 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.'"
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It turns out, the Anchorman star even had doubts of the potential success, just before the original flicks release.
He recalled to the outlet that he stared at the now iconic yellow tights as the thought: "Boy, this could be the end."
Will recalled the conversations he had with his manager at the time as he admitted: "He was like, ‘Well, the family one went great, but we could really get eviscerated in this next one. I’m looking at a bunch of what look like USC frat boys about to go in'."
He added: "Then later I hear, no, that group actually liked it, too," as the film became a massive hit across different generations.
The UK's highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time
1. The Grinch (2018) - £424,000,000
2. Home Alone (1990) - £376,000,000
3. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - £283,000,000
4. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) - £273,000,000
5. A Christmas Carol (2009) - £256,000,000
6. The Polar Express (2004) - £250,000,000
7. Elf (2003) - £180,000,000
8. The Holiday (2006) - £162,000,000
9. The Santa Clause (1994) - £150,000,000
10. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) - £137,000,000
Figures accurate as of November 2024
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