Will There Be a ‘Spirited 2’? What That End Credits Scene Could Mean for a Sequel (2024)

Spirited, the new Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds movie now streaming on Apple TV+, manages to pack a whole lot of Christmas spirit into a two-hour movie. And yes, that includes a Spirited post-credits scene.

The high-concept musical is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that imagines a world where, every year, a new jerk is chosen to get “Christmas Caroled,” aka shown the error of their ways and offered a chance to turn their life around on Christmas Eve. Ferrell stars as the Ghost of Christmas Present, while Reynolds plays this year’s “perp” who must learn to be a better person. But as it turns out, Ferrell learns something from Reynolds’ character, too.

Full of singing, dancing, alternate fantasy universes, character backstories, and life-long Christmas-themed lessons, it’s a wonder that the Spirited run time isn’t three hours. But director Sean Anders, who also co-wrote the script with John Morris, makes every second of screentime count. And that includes a Spirited end credits scene that appears to set up a sequel. Read on to get the scoop on that scene and what we know about a possible Spirited 2.

Is there a Spirited post-credits scene?

Yes. In addition to the full version of a fantastic, showstopping number that was cut for time—a crime, truly, those dancers should sue—there is also a Spirited after-credits scene at the very end of the credits.

The scene takes viewers back to the hotel that hosted the Christmas tree convention, aka the spot where Will Ferrell first met Ryan Reynolds’ character. We see the mean hotel manager, played by P. J. Byrne, who was the original “perp” intended for the Christmas Carol-style makeover. The manager is still just as terrible as ever. As he is checking in a guest, Ray Madison, he spots the janitor whom he had previously deemed too working-class for his fancy hotel aesthetic.

“Don’t look left, eyes on me, there’s a problem and I’m going to address it immediately,” the hotel manager tells the guest. “Do not look left. I’m going to murder a man in the grand lobby.”

As the manager chases after the janitor, a nearby statue of a reindeer begins to float and jangle like a bell. It’s the same way that the ghost of Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) introduced himself to Ryan Reynolds. In other words, this hotel manager is next in line to get Christmas Carol-ed. And with that, the movie ends.

Will there be a Spirited 2? Spirited ending explained:

The Spirited end credits seem to set up a path for a sequel: This angry hotel manager dude is about to get the Christmas Carol treatment, and now (spoiler alert!) Ryan Reynolds is a ghost, meaning he could easily be the star of the sequel.

That said, there are no official plans for a Spirited sequel at this time. In an interview with the website Dexerto, director Sean Anders didn’t seem gung ho about the idea of Spirited 2. “I feel like it’s more of a one-and-done thing. I think sequels to Christmas movies are generally not the best idea,” he said.

Anders did hedge his bets, clarifying, “Never say never, you never know what ideas can come up. I think right now we’re just in the throes of getting this one done and out.” He also addressed the ending, which does leave things open for another visit from some Christmas ghosts. But Anders said the intention was not to set up a sequel. “We certainly didn’t create it with that in mind, we just wanted the audience to have a sense of these characters having lives beyond the story. It was more about that than setting up a sequel.”

The director added that he would much rather see Spirited adapted for the Broadway stage, saying, “If [audiences] react in the way I hope they do, I’d love to see it reach the stage.”

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell on Broadway, anyone?