Will Ferrell’s Elf Returns to Theaters in 2025 With Never-Before-Seen Footage

Buddy the Elf is clocking back in. Warner Bros. Discovery is reviving Elf in theaters next year and turning December 12 into a full-day celebration of the movie. Yes, they gave the day a punny name. I respect the commitment.

'December the TwELFth'

The big-screen return (with extras)

Elf is heading back to cinemas on December 12, 2025. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the rerelease comes with a new twist: the 'Buddy's Sing & Cheer Along Edition' screening, complete with on-screen lyrics so you can belt it out, trivia popping up throughout, and some added on-screen gags for good measure.

What 'December the TwELFth' actually includes

Warner Bros. Discovery is also launching an annual Elf celebration on that same date. The first one kicks off this year and it is a one-day, coast-to-coast situation anchored by a live performance and a bunch of fan-friendly pop-ups. They are also using the moment to raise money for charity.

• New York City: 'Elf The Musical' will stage a special noon performance in Times Square to launch the festivities.
• Photo ops and shopping: Expect Elf-themed photo stations and some themed shopping stops tied to the event.
• Letters to Santa: There will be a place to write to Santa, because of course there is.
• Los Angeles: Over at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, the Warner Bros. Studio Store will display original Elf costumes for fans to see in person.
• Charity tie-in: WBD will match all American Red Cross donations made that day, up to $100,000.

Quick refresher: why Elf still hits

Jon Favreau directed Elf, which opened on November 7, 2003, with Will Ferrell as Buddy Hobbs, a human raised at the North Pole by Santa's elves who heads to New York to find his biological dad, Walter Hobbs. The cast is stacked: James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner, and Bob Newhart all co-star. The movie was a critical and box office win out of the gate and has been a holiday staple ever since. It later spun off into the 2010 Broadway show 'Elf: The Musical' and the 2014 stop-motion special 'Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas.'