What happens when the architect of “Where the Streets Have No Name” decides to write a Christmas movie sequel? Apparently, nothing — which is somehow both disappointing and completely on brand for Hollywood.
Andy Richter, who played children’s author Morris in the 2003 original, reportedly told Page Six Radio that The Edge wrote a complete screenplay for an Elf sequel. The Edge then wanted to discuss it with original producer Shauna Robertson, according to Richter. That proposed meeting “petered out,” Richter said, and the whole thing later “fizzled out” — his words, shared during the Page Six Radio retelling. For the record: no public confirmation from The Edge has been identified in any cited reporting. Richter’s recollection is the only publicly reported account, and it deserves to be treated accordingly — a genuinely compelling story, not a confirmed project.
Here’s what Richter has said, as reported by Variety and NME:
- Richter revealed the anecdote on Page Six Radio, characterizing the situation as genuinely unusual
- Somewhere in the world, an Edge-penned Elf 2 may still exist, according to Richter’s account
- The Edge wasn’t alone in this orbit — writer Scot Armstrong, who later worked on The Hangover Part II, also developed a sequel concept reportedly involving evil South Pole elves kidnapping Santa
- Richter himself doesn’t think a sequel should happen now; Elf has become too beloved to risk damaging
“Somewhere in the world there is an Edge-penned Elf 2 out there.” — Andy Richter, as reported by NME
When Beloved Things Get Touched
Multiple unproduced sequel concepts have orbited Elf for years, and none of them have made it past the idea stage.
The Armstrong pitch — evil South Pole elves, kidnapped Santa — sounds like something sketched out during a studio retreat where someone ordered too much room service. The Edge’s reported version remains a complete mystery, which might actually be the best possible outcome. You can project anything onto a script you’ve never read, and an unread screenplay by a rock guitarist is somehow more interesting than whatever the finished product might have been.
Richter’s reluctance to greenlight any sequel is the honest position here. Elf isn’t just a movie anymore; it’s a December ritual, like a Spotify Wrapped reveal except people actually enjoy it. Messing with that carries real risk. Meanwhile, The Edge is occupied with more certain creative territory — U2’s forthcoming album Carnaval De Luz leads into a 2027 world tour opening February 23 in Mexico City, with Beck supporting the opening show.
The screenplay, if it exists, lives somewhere in Hollywood’s parallel timeline. No confirmed sequel. No publicly verified script. Just a genuinely strange story about a rock guitarist who apparently once cared enough about Buddy the Elf to write him a second act — and that alone is worth sitting with for a moment.
