JIM CARREY WAS INITIALLY EYED TO PLAY BUDDY THE ELF IN ELF WHEN THE PROJECT WAS FIRST CONCEIVED IN 1993.
WILL FERRELL FINALLY GOT JAMES CAAN TO LAUGH DURING THE BLOOD TEST SCENE. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU’LL SEE HIM TURN AWAY FROM THE CAMERA TO SAVE THE TAKE.
ELF’S PRODUCTION DESIGN WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER.
YEARS BEFORE SNL OR ELF, WILL FERRELL WORKED AS A MALL SANTA.
DIRECTOR JON FAVREAU FAVORED PRACTICAL EFFECTS, LIKE FALSE PERSPECTIVE, ON THE SET OF ELF.
MACY’S STOOD IN FOR GIMBELS IN ELF.
MUCH OF THE SNOW YOU SEE IN ELF WAS OFTEN COMPUTER-GENERATED.
THOUGH HE’S REPORTEDLY BEEN OFFERED A HUGE PAY DAY ($29 MILLION), FERRELL HAS NO INTEREST IN MAKING ELF 2.
THE EPIC BURP WAS REAL BUT NOT DONE BY FERRELL. VOICE ACTOR MAURICE LAMARCHE, FAMOUS FOR VOICING BRAIN IN PINKY AND THE BRAIN, STEPPED IN FOR THE UNCREDITED STUNT BURP.
THE MAPLE SYRUP WAS VERY REAL, HOWEVER, AND MADE FERRELL SICK FROM THE AMOUNT HE INGESTED, ALONG WITH THE “COTTON BALLS” WHICH WERE ACTUALLY COTTON CANDY.
BUDDY WAS BULLIED BY THE OTHER ELVES IN AN EARLY VERSION OF ELF.
BUDDY’S ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK WAS SHOT WITH RANDOM NON-ACTORS THAT FERRELL WOULD RUN UP TO AND IMPROVISE WITH.
THERE’S A CHRISTMAS STORY CAMEO IN ELF.
JON FAVREAU PLAYED MULTIPLE PARTS IN ELF INCLUDING THE NARWHAL.
ELF WAS SO POPULAR IS SPAWNED A SUCCESSFUL BROADWAY ADAPTATION THAT EVENTUALLY RAN AS A NATIONAL TOUR.
ELF HOCKEY HIT THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR AS A DELETED SCENE.
SOME OF ELF’S SETS WERE BUILT IN A HORROR FACTORY ALSO UTILIZED BY THE X-FILES, AMONG OTHERS.
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It could be worse. Jim Carrey could have gotten the part. That would have been horrifying.