All the insane drama behind the beloved Christmas movie Elf – from sacking babies to actor swaps and why Will Ferrell feud killed the sequel
Elf is perhaps one of the most popular Christmas films of all time.
With the holidays in full swing, many will be seeing the classic 2003 film back on screen this week.
The blockbuster stars Hollywood actor Will Ferrell, 57, as Buddy Hobbs.
It follows his crazy life as a human raised by elves at the North Pole.
His alter ego decides to go to New York City in a mission to feel ‘normal’, so packs his bags and – dressed in his elf outfit – heads to the city to find his biological father.
Despite being a huge fan favorite, there are a few things some don’t know about the film.
Baby Buddy is fired!
Baby Buddy was originally cast as two twin boys, but was later replaced as triplet girls
Originally, two blonde twin boys with curly hair were cast to play baby Buddy in the film.
However, the young people did not perform as the bosses wanted as they kept crying on the set.
Finally, they decided to hire a trio of brunette girls, who are now the stars of the show!
The feud that meant there would be no Elf sequel
Elf will probably not get a sequel in the future…
Eleven premiered 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 yet is quite surprising considering its popularity in the early 2000s.
Speaking to The Guardian, Will told them: ‘I killed the idea of a sequel.
“$29 million seems like a lot of money for a man to wear pantyhose, but that’s what the market will bear.”
Then James Caan, who plays Buddy’s father Walter Hobbs, gave another reason why.
The actor claimed that Will and director Jon Favreau “didn’t get along.”
James told Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan’s Bull & Fox in 2020, “We were going to do it and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I finally have a franchise movie, I can make some money, let my kids do whatever 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 would be Eleven
Jim Carrey could have been Eleven in the hit movie?!
Eleven was written by David Berenbaum and reportedly thought 63-year-old funnyman Jim was a perfect fit for the main character.
Around that time, Jim starred in In Living Color and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, among others.
David completed writing the script in 1993, but the film was released a whopping ten years later.
During that decade, Jim was busy with other things, including his massive blockbuster Bruce Almighty, which premiered the same year as Elf.
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 enjoys eating sweet treats.
He tells his new family about his four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.
In one hilarious scene, he pours maple syrup over his pasta during a meal and washes it down with a bottle of full-fat Coke.
But this took its toll on the actor.
Speaking to The Sun, Will said: ‘That was tough. I consumed a lot of sugar in this movie and didn’t sleep much.
‘I stayed awake constantly. But anything for the movie, I’m there.
“If it requires me to eat a lot of maple syrup, then I will do it — if that’s what the job requires.”
Zooey Deschanel wasn’t the first choice
Zoeey Deschanel played Jovie in the film
Award-winning actress Zooey, 44, has appeared in several TV shows and movies over the years.
In 2003, she took on the role of Jovie in Elf.
However, she was not supposed to star in the film.
Speaking to Variety, Zoeey said: “I went as a backup. The person they cast couldn’t do it.
“A lot of the roles I got early in my career, I was filling in for someone else who dropped out at the last minute.”