U2 guitarist The Edge wrote a complete, unproduced script for a sequel to the holiday classic Elf, coming to light years later through insider accounts from producer Shauna Robertson and actor Andy Richter.
The Edge Wrote a Script for Elf 2
- U2 guitarist David Howell Evans, known as The Edge, penned a full script for Elf 2 despite having virtually no prior film writing experience.
- The project surfaced through producer Shauna Robertson after being pitched from Europe, though it ultimately failed to move forward.
- Star Will Ferrell previously told IGN in 2016 that he had no interest in pursuing a sequel, expressing concern about tarnishing the original movie’s special status.
The Origins of a Secret Script
The existence of the unexpected manuscript emerged during an episode of The Daily Beast’s Obsessed podcast featuring actor and comedian Andy Richter. Richter shared details provided by producer and frequent Will Ferrell collaborator Shauna Robertson regarding the unusual pitch.
According to Richter, Robertson was in Europe when someone reached out with the news that the U2 musician wanted to discuss a sequel he had entirely written. The exact timeline of when the script was penned remains unclear, though the project never progressed past initial conversations.
She was in Europe, and somebody reached out to her and said, ‘The Edge from U2 has written a sequel to Elf, and he wants to talk to you about it,’
Richter recalled on the podcast. It’s the weirdest story, but apparently, it was fully written.
Richter added that the meeting ultimately petered out and the movie never happened, leaving the text shelved indefinitely somewhere in the world.
Guardians of the Holiday Classic
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell as the lovable human raised by Santa’s elves, the original Elf remains an enduring seasonal phenomenon. Ferrell addressed the prospect of a follow-up during a 2016 interview with IGN, making it clear that a sequel was never something he wanted to pursue.
Now that that time has passed, I think that the movie has become so special that I think that people – and I think rightfully so – loathe to mess with it,
Ferrell told IGN.
Pointing to the risk of underwhelming follow-ups that plague Hollywood franchises, the actor noted that the original film remains too beloved to risk tarnishing with an unnecessary continuation. Richter similarly noted that he shares the perspective of fans who prefer to leave the holiday favorite untouched.
| Project Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Jon Favreau |
| Lead Star | Will Ferrell |
| Unproduced Sequel Writer | The Edge (David Howell Evans) |
The Reality of Unproduced Screenplays
The Edge, whose signature guitar tones defined U2 anthems like With Or Without You
and Where The Streets Have No Name
across five decades, spent little to no time in the professional screenwriting space prior to this endeavor. With no official studio development or active announcements regarding Elf 2, the musician’s holiday script remains an intriguing piece of unproduced Hollywood lore.
