‘Elf’ Casting Director Reveals Who Should Play Buddy in Remake

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

Twenty years ago, New Line Cinema released a Christmas movie that would quickly become one of the most popular movies to watch during the holidays. Elf starred Will Ferrell as Buddy, a man raised by Papa Elf in the North Pole. Buddy’s world is turned upside down when he learns that he is not actually an elf, but a human, and he has a father who lives in New York City.

Buddy leaves the North Pole to find his father Walter — a brash book executive who has made his way onto Santa’s naughty list. Although Walter wanted nothing to do with Buddy, the human elf’s belief in the goodness of people and the magic of Christmas changed the lives of the people around him.

Right now, a lot of studios are focusing on remaking popular movies, so it’s not surprising that the idea of an Elf remake has come to mind. PEOPLE recently spoke to Elf casting director Susie Farris and asked her who she would cast in a remake of the 2003 film.

“Off the top of my head, I’m just going to say Bill Hader.”

“I just think that he’s quirky and endearing and yeah, I’d like to see Bill Hader,” she adds.

Farris also revealed who she would cast as Susie (yes, same name!), Buddy’s daughter, who is a baby at the end of the original film.

“I love Elle Fanning. I also really love Mckenna Grace,” Farris says when asked whom she could envision playing Susie as a teenager or young adult.

If you were hoping to hear that Will Ferrell would return for a sequel to the beloved Christmas film, we have some bad news. As of right now, it doesn’t look like the actor is interested in returning to the role. Farris noted that she thought that if Ferrell wanted to make a sequel, then one would be made. But she did note that she thought he had already put everything he had into the role.

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Farris also shared a sweet memory that she has of Ferrell. Typically, casting directors don’t spend a ton of time on set, since their job takes place before filming begins. But one day, Farris made her way to the set and met the Saturday Night Live alum. She introduced herself and was surprised that Mr. Ferrell remembered her name.

She says the “impressive” gesture from Ferrell, who was already attached to the film by the time she signed on, meant a lot, and “just informs about his character as a person.”

“He knows everybody’s name, and the kindness and generosity of No. 1 on your call sheet goes a really long way,” Farris adds.

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Even though we won’t be seeing Ferrell in an Elf remake any time soon, he will still have a massive presence on the big screen. Most recently, he appeared as a Mattel CEO in the hit film, Barbie. He is also set to appear in a number of films that are in various stages of production, including The Prince of Fashion, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Boy Band, Madden, and You’re Cordially Invited.

Elf will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so make sure it is on your holiday watch list. In addition to Will Ferrell, the film also starred James Caan as Walter, Bob Newhart as Papa Elf, Zooey Deschanel as Jovie (Buddy’s love interest), and Ed Asner as Santa Claus.

Elf is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Would you like to see an Elf remake? Or have Will Ferrell return for a sequel? Let us know in the comments!