There’s no denying that Elf is one of those Christmas movies that’s great for the whole family. It’s honestly perfect as is, but there’s always the chance that it could be redone. If a remake of the beloved holiday classic were to happen, its casting director, Susie Farris, does apparently know who she could picture wearing the festive North Pole attire as Buddy the Elf instead of Will Ferrell. Here’s a hint: he’s a beloved actor who also delighted audiences through his work on Saturday Night Live.
It’s been twenty years since the phenomenal Elf introduced audiences to Buddy, a human raised as an elf in the North Pole who sets out to meet his biological father in the Big Apple. The Anchorman star breathed incredible life into the character, but Susie Farris has a solid pick for a star that could handle a reboot. She told People that she could see none other than Bill Hader stepping into the role and explained why:
Off the top of my head, I’m just going to say Bill Hader. I just think that he’s quirky and endearing and yeah, I’d like to see Bill Hader.
Quirky and endearing is right. The star made his mark on SNL through his wild dialogue delivery and by covering his face while playing “city correspondent” Stefon. He also has an impressive body of work, as Bill Hader’s best movies and TV shows include comedies like Superbad, Trainwreck and the IFC parody series Documentary Now! Whether the Barry actor’s characters are absurd, awkward, or sweet, the Emmy winner knows how to make it work. I can picture him embodying all of Buddy’s childlike qualities as well as the character’s enthusiasm for Christmas and life in general. While Hader arguably hasn’t played a character quite as energetic as Buddy, I still think he could pull it off based on his voiceover work as Flint Lockwood in the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies and as Fear in Inside Out.
Still, it’s hard to picture anyone else playing Buddy the Elf, because Will Ferrell was so flawless. The comedian absolutely gave the movie his all, and it really shows in the finished product. You want to know just how fare he went in? Well, one of the most interesting BTS facts about Ferrell’s Christmas movie was that the star caused some minor traffic accidents by drivers distracted seeing a grown man traipsing around New York streets in an elf costume. And if you can believe it, the scene in which Buddy interrogates the mall Santa was all improvised by the Step Brothers actor, including the classic line “You sit on the throne of lies!” Yeah, this man is a comedic genius.
Considering what a major success the movie was, some may have expected a sequel to follow immediately. Surprisingly enough, there were talks of a sequel that ultimately got canceled due to its lead actor wanting no part of it. Will Ferrell said he turned down Elf 2 despite the large paycheck because he wasn’t interested in the sequel’s “rehashed premise.” James Caan, who played Buddy’s father Walter Hobbs, also claimed Ferrell didn’t get along with director Jon Favreau. Their contracts reportedly stipulated that the two would have to work together if a sequel were to happen. If Buddy the Elf were to be brought back, I’d love catch up with him as well as his wife, Jovie, and their daughter, Susie, and see what’s transpired in their lives since the events of the movie.
If a remake were to happen though, I certainly wouldn’t mind if Bill Hader were to take on the role. With this SNL alum’s history of comedic excellence he’d be a great choice for such a film. Whether that actually comes to fruition, though, remains to be seen. In the meantime, you can stream the 2003 film right now using a Hulu subscription, and it’s also available to Max subscribers.