By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-23 16:56:42 | Updated at 2024-12-23 23:00:47
6 hours ago
Elf is arguably one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time.
With the festive season in full swing, many will be putting the classic 2003 film back on their screens this week.
The blockbuster stars Hollywood actor Will Ferrell, 57, as Buddy Hobbs.
It follows his crazy life as a human who was brought up by elves in the North Pole.
His alter-ego decides to head to New York City in a mission to try and feel 'normal', so packs his bags and heads to the city - while dressed in his elf outfit - to find his biological dad.
Despite being a huge fan favourite, there are a few things that some don't know about the movie..
Baby Buddy was fired!
Baby Buddy was originally cast as two twin boys, but was later replaced as triplet girls
Originally two blond curly-haired twin boys were cast to play baby Buddy in the film.
However, the youngsters didn't end up performing how the bosses wanted them to as they kept crying on set.
In the end, they decided to hire triplet brunette girls, who are now the stars of the show!
The feud that meant there would be no Elf sequel
Elf probably won't have a sequel in the future...
Elf premiered way back in 2003.
It has since been made into a Broadway musical - Elf: The Musical, as well as Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas.
So the fact that there hasn't been an Elf 2 is quite surprising, considering how popular it was in the early 2000s.
In a chat with The Guardian, Will told them: 'I killed the idea of a sequel.
'$29m does seem a lot of money for a guy to wear tights, but it's what the marketplace will bear.'
Then James Caan, who plays Buddy's dad Walter Hobbs, gave another reason why.
The actor alleged that Will and director Jon Favreau 'didn't get along'.
James told Cleveland's 92.3 The Fan's Bull & Fox back in 2020: 'We were gonna do it and I thought, "Oh my God, I finally got a franchise movie, I could make some money, let my kids do what the hell they want to do.
'The director and Will didn't get along very well.
'So, Will wanted to do it, he didn't want the director, and he had it in his contract, it was one of those things.'
Jim Carey was supposed to be Elf
Jim Carrey could have been Elf in the popular film?!
Elf was written by David Berenbaum and reportedly thought that funnyman Jim, 63, was the perfect fit for the protagonist.
Around that time, Jim had starred in the likes of In Living Color, as well as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
David finished writing the script in 1993, but the film was released a whopping 10 years later.
In that decade, Jim was busy with other things - including his huge blockbuster hit Bruce Almighty, which premiered the same year Elf did.
Will's sugar rush... or not
Will had to eat a lot of sugar during his time on the Elf set
Throughout the film, Buddy loves to eat sugary treats.
He tells his newfound family about his four main food groups - candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.
During one hilarious scene, he pours maple syrup over his pasta while at a sit down meal and washes it down with a bottle of full-fat coke.
But this took a toll on the actor.
In a chat with The Sun, Will said: 'That was tough. I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie and I didn't get a lot of sleep.
'I constantly stayed up. But anything for the movie, I'm there.
'If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will - if that's what the job calls for.'
Zooey Deschanel wasn't first choice
Zoeey Deschanel played Jovie in the film
Award-winning actress Zooey, 44, has appeared in various TV shows and films over the years.
In 2003, she took on the role of Jovie in Elf.
However she wasn't actually supposed to be in the movie.
In a chat with Variety, Zoeey said: 'I went in as a backup. The person they cast couldn't do it.
'A lot of the parts I got early in my career, I was filling in for someone else who had dropped out last minute.'
