🤯🎬 Will Ferrell’s SNL Elf Twist: Prison Buddy?!

Why Ferrell’s SNL50 “Elf” rant shocked fans—and how he turned down $29M to avoid a sequel. Chaos unpacked.

Why Did Will Ferrell’s SNL50 Sketch Break Co-Stars?

Ferrell’s return as “Big Red” in the SNL50 “Scared Straight” sketch caused chaos—even for comedy legends.

Dressed in Daisy Dukes and a mullet, his character rambled about prison improv groups, scrapbooking binges, and… Elf?

When Ferrell ad-libbed racy twists on Buddy the Elf’s backstory, Kenan Thompson and Eddie Murphy nearly lost it.

“You’re gonna get Elf’d, right in your butt-y!” he barked, blurring holiday cheer into R-rated absurdity. Human punchline? Achieved.

How Did Elf sabotage Its Own Sequel?

Ferrell turned down $29 million to avoid a watered-down Elf 2. Why? The script mirrored the original too closely.

“I’d have to promote it lying,” he told THR in 2021, admitting he’d rather skip cash than fake enthusiasm.

Fans got closure at SNL50 instead: Big Red’s wild “North Pole” prison tale gave Buddy a dark edge—and Ferrell freed himself from sugarplum purgatory.

Why Did Eddie Murphy Revive Nutty Professor Jokes?

Murphy’s SNL comeback wasn’t shy about nostalgia. His prisoner character recycled Nutty Professor gags, while Ferrell hijacked Elf.

The meta-humor crescendoed as Murphy smirked, “Forget your North Pole—worry about your South Pole!” A win for ’90s kids: two comedy titans roasting their own legacies, no filter.

What Made the ‘Scared Straight’ Sketch So Unhinged?

The premise—teens scared by prison stories—collapsed into parody fast. Sudeikis played straight man as Thompson, Murphy, and Ferrell spun increasingly ludicrous tales.

Ferrell’s improvised jail confessions (“sex 60 times a day!”) clashed with Harry Potter-ripoff rants. Pure anarchy, bottled in 5 minutes.

Could Elf 2 Ever Work Without Ferrell?

After SNL50’s subversive take, doubtful. Ferrell’s Big Red proved Buddy’s story has zero sacred cows.

A sequel would need his chaotic touch—or risk becoming a “cotton-headed ninny-muggins” itself.

As Ferrell joked mid-sketch: “In prison, everyone’s on the naughty list.”

Quick Facts: Will Ferrell’s SNL50 Sketch

• 💰 No Sequel Money: Rejected $29M for Elf 2 over creative doubts.
• 🎅 Dark Buddy: Parodied his iconic role with NC-17 prison jokes.
• 🤣 Co-Star Meltdowns: Murphy, Thompson struggled not to laugh mid-sketch.
• 📆 Sketch Date: Aired Feb. 16, 2025, during SNL’s 50th anniversary special.
• 👖 Look: Mullet + Daisy Dukes = “Big Red’s” unhinged dress code.