8. Elf 2: Buddy Saves Christmas
James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner and Andy Richter, all backing up Will Ferrell in a whimsical holiday flick. How can it lose? In 2003s Elf, Ferrell plays Buddy, a Christmas elf who discovers hes adopted. At more than six feet tall, living and working among his tiny brethren might have tipped him off. So Buddy leaves the North Pole in order to discover his past in the real world, and the result is a funny, tender and very entertaining movie. Elf was a monster hit, quickly breaking the $100 million mark. Director Jon Favreau had just the right touch in balancing comedy and melodrama. Since its release, Elf has become one of those regularly viewed holiday films like Miracle on 34th Street and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. And in Hollywood a monster hit demands a sequel, and plans were soon underway. In 2006 Will Farrell reportedly turned down the role despite a salary rumored at $29 million, stating that he would be blamed if the sequel fell short of the original. And with sequels, particularly comedies, thats always a gamble. But what has historically worked with comedy sequels are a returning cast and a respect for the original material. Director Blake Edwards and the late Peter Sellers understood this, reuniting for five Pink Panther films over 25 years. An Elf sequel, were it to happen, would depend on Ferrells involvement for its success. It would also be important for the supporting cast to return. Though something like Elf 2: Buddy Saves Christmas is, after so many years, somewhat doubtful, it is worth speculating as to what Buddy might be up to these days.