The Alamo Drafthouse movie chain looks set to hit 350,000 in ticket sales this November and December from Jon Favreau’s Will Ferrell-starring holiday favorite Elf. The 2003 comedy, about a human baby raised in Santa’s North Pole workshop who returns to New York and saves Christmas, is the chain’s top all-time repertory title, with cumulative grosses passing 1.5 million as fans flock to its movie watch-parties with costumed hosts, props, present wrapping and spaghetti-with-maple-syrup eating contests — Buddy the Elf’s favorite food. The chain ordered 30,000 elf hats this year.

“It’s rarely anyone’s first time seeing the film. It’s become an institution for people. A tradition,” says John Smith, Alamo Drafthouse senior programmer.

Repertory fare has been crucial for theaters weathering Covid and a choppy recovery. The story of the misfit, too-tall mediocre toymaker Buddy, who sets out to find his real dad, is the gift that keeps on giving.