Will Ferrell Turned Down $29 Million For An Elf Sequel

Elf is one of the most beloved holiday films of the 21st century, and Will Ferrell says he turned down big money to do a sequel. Ferrell recently spoke with THR and revealed that a sequel was in the works, but said he turned down $29 million to appear in it because he didn’t think it was good enough.

The article noted that Ferrell didn’t think the rehashed premise of the sequel was good, and noted, “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.’”

Elf was a huge hit when it released in 2003 and grossed $223.3 million worldwide against a $33 million budget, boosting Ferrell into leading man status.