Making millions with my “Elf 2” script

Adam J. Blust
Words Mean Things
Published in
5 min readMar 20, 2023

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Graphic by the author, with elements courtesy of New Line Cinema

My brother said I could make millions by writing an “Elf 2” movie sequel script.

Of course, that would also mean pitching it to Will Ferrell, Jon Favreau, and/or New Line Cinema.

He left that part out of his brilliant plan.

But he did have a point. People love “Elf”! If the last few years have taught us anything, pretty much the only thing that makes money these days are retreads of old IPs.

Problem is, I’m lazy. So I decided to ask ChatGPT to write the “Elf 2” script for me. This was my prompt:

“Elf” is a 2003 comedy film starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. Write a script for an “Elf 2” sequel movie, where Buddy is drafted into becoming the new Santa Claus. Script should be both funny and heartwarming.

And this is what that crazy large language model came up with.

FADE IN:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY — DAY

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is in full swing. People are rushing to and fro, trying to get their last-minute shopping done. We see Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) walking down the street, a big smile on his face. He’s wearing his iconic green and yellow elf suit, and carrying a giant candy cane. He stops and looks up at the sky.

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Adam J. Blust
Words Mean Things

Writing memoir and memoir-adjacent stories. Hoping that exploring the past will illuminate the future. “How’s that working out for you, being clever?”