Will Ferrell Turned Down $29 Million For Elf 2

Will Ferrell recently admitted that he thought Elf would be the end of his movie career. Instead, the movie went on to become a beloved holiday classic. It even got its own Broadway musical.

Ferrell recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about why he decided to turn down the chance to reprise his role as Buddy the Elf. He says the reason he couldn’t do it is because he thought it was dishonest to accept that sum of money for a bad movie.

“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.”

Artistic integrity sometimes doesn’t come with a price. Will Ferrell obviously doesn’t want to come off as greedy. He apparently read the script and didn’t think it was any good. We’re probably better off without Elf 2.

Ferrell went on to say that he’d have trouble withstanding the criticism that the movie would’ve been a money-grab. He also left open a window for a potential sequel. He predicted that a bad sequel would make him a liar after all.

“I remember asking myself: could I withstand the criticism when it’s bad and they say, ‘He did the sequel for the money?’ I decided I wouldn’t be able to. I didn’t want to wander into an area that could erase all the good work I’ve done – but you watch, I’ll do some sequel in the future that’s crap.”

Will Ferrell’s latest project is a limited series for Apple TV+. The Shrink Next Door debuts on November 12 and co-stars Ferrell and Paul Rudd. Given his tendency to be honest about his work, it’s probably worth checking out.

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments!