Amy played the secretary Deb, who was the perfect opposite of Walters grouchy personality. At this point, every Game of Thrones fan should know that Tyrion Lannister (actor Peter Dinklage) plays author Miles Finch. The exterior of Walter and Emilys home is only shown briefly, but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed it has been in a movie before. Ferrell later told Rotten Tomatoes that it was when he saw the original ending at the LA premiere that he knew the movie was special. Anyone else notice that Michael and Buddys water glasses were empty at dinner? The New York Times called his presence "a lunatic bonhomie that lights a welcome spark.". Talking about Sonny makes sense, but it might not be what he wanted. ", 5. 5. Even comedian Chris Farley was suggested before Ferrell. That fear didnt last. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will, if that's what the job calls for.". Will Ferrell and Faizon Love in "Elf," 2003. Playing the doctor wasnt the directors only cameo. "It hits hardest at Christmastime when it's 105 degrees out here," Berenbaum told Variety in 2018. The first two weeks of shooting were kind of all the exteriors in New York. That character was supposed to be played by comedian Wanda Sykes, but Love got the part when she became unavailable. I create a huge echo chamber with my tongue and my cheeks, and by doing a deep, almost Tuvan rasp in my throat, and bouncing it around off this echo chamber, I create something that sounds very much like a sustained deep burp. Whenever wed go into an Italian restaurant, theyd put on The Godfather soundtrack. "Overnight I was a genius," Caan told PEOPLE in 1975 of his early string of hits. But Macy's didn't like the idea that there was a fake Santa working there," Favreau said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Though immortalized here and in the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street, the department store closed its doors in 1987, its 100th year of operation. But he said the actual fight between the characters had to be done in one take. We look back at a career which included classics such as El Dorado, The Godfather, Misery and Elf But the people making the film had a clear and strong vision, inspired by the holiday specials of their childhood. Artie has found himself in trouble with the law several times, but he still acts on shows like Crashing. Because it took over a decade for the film to finally be made, the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective star never ended up taking on the role. In the scene where Buddy suffers as a toy tester, he's subjected to popping open an endless stream of menacing jack-in-the-boxes. Will Ferrells Buddy the Elf is an expert in spreading Christmas cheer, whether its by singing loudly for all to hear, crooning Baby, Its Cold Outside with Zooey Deschanels Jovie in private, or even by getting hit by cabs on the streets of New York City. "So when you watch it, it doesn't feel like it ages the same way that a film that has a lot of digital effects does.. 1. she explained to Feel Christmassy. "The costume was important," Favreau told ABC News. Les meilleures offres pour ELF - DVD Will Ferrell, James Caan, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Jon Favreau sont sur eBay Comparez les prix et les spcificits des produits neufs et d'occasion Pleins d'articles en livraison gratuite! As he told The Washington Post some 42 years ago, Everyplace I go, I spend half my time undoing Sonny Corleone.. "People would be on the phone, they'd be sitting at the desk cutting up paper, cutting out little dolls, cutting out little curlicues to make snowflakes," Smith said. When asked about the cult-classic success of the film, Will said it was just obviously one of those where the stars aligned and 15 years later, its crazy.. He was a lot of fun.". Will Ferrell, Kristian Ayre, Peter Billingsley, and David Avalon in "Elf," 2003. The facility is called Riverview Hospital, and it has played host to a long list of film and television productions, including The X-Files, Final Destination 2, Jennifer's Body, and See No Evil 2. the New Girl star told Stylecaster. ", Caan appeared in Wes Anderson's very first feature film in 1996 as Mr. Henry, a bad guy with a wild streak. The Academy Award-nominated star of The Godfather was hired to play Walter in part because Favreau wanted a stern persona to play against Ferrell's giddy Buddy, and Caan took the comedy of Elf seriously. This explains why he's most proud of his cameo as Mr. Narwhal. How could you not love the no-bullst Gimbels manager, played by Faizon? These included the snowflakes that drift over the opening credits, and many of the snowballs in Buddy's pivotal fight scene. This meant the team relied on practical effects whenever possible. They have to smash the whole [thing] -- so we dont really have a lot of resets, Favreau said, laughing. And dont feel bad Buddy would have missed these subtleties, too. The department store Santa actor said one day he was sitting in wardrobe when Ferrell walked by in his Buddy costume and, knowing the building's history, Lange had a good laugh about it. "I decided I wouldn't be able to. But to further underscore the drama that is a snowball fight in frosty New York, Favreau asked composer John Debney to give this section a Western vibe that would recall The Magnificent Seven. "It looks almost like he's a puppet and the tights and the boots and the hat and he was extremely brave wearing that costume.". The boy is credited as Kid with Santa, but his real name is Paul Schofield. Unless youre living under a rock, you already know that he starred onGame of Thronesas Tyrion Lannister! So if you could make him laugh, all the tension disappears. Elf made nearly seven times its $32 million budget at the box office alone, but during the shoot, money was tight. It's disappointing, but it makes the one and only Elf all the more special. Obituary: James Caan, who played Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, dies at 82. But when it came to the blood test scene where Buddy bellows when pricked by a needle, Caan cracked. '", 17. Will wanted to do it, and he didnt want the director.. "I remember asking myself: could I withstand the criticism when it's bad and they say, 'He did the sequel for the money?'" TIL: After filming ELF, Will Ferrell gave James Caan the GODFATHER trilogy with a note saying "Great working with you. Another mystery: Where did he get all his sugary breakfast treats from? ", In the movie, Buddy is happy to gobble down an endless supply of sweets, including maple syrup-coated spaghetti and cotton balls made of cotton candy. I can make some money, let my kids do what the hell they want to do,'" he said on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. The studio noted the actor does not look 26, to which Favreauwho had previously cast Acheson in a small role that had been cut before productionresponded that this disconnect was part of the joke. According to Variety, Jim Carrey was the first pick, likely thanks to his roles in PG-13 movies such asAce Ventura and The Mask. I was really lucky that my job in the film was to try to drive him crazy, and I would. Caan met a new generation of fans when he played the straight-and-narrow biological father to Will Ferrell's Buddy in 2003's Elf. The film also stars Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, and Edward Asner. That's probably my most famous role of anything I've ever done because that's the one that's on t-shirts and sweaters., 2. But Will would bust his balls a lot. Will is still consistently acting in hilarious comedies like Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, which came out in 2020. The article has been updated. Various scenes pay homage to other classic Christmas films, We used stop-motion animation like 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' which was a big influence for us," Favreau said. "So we had one take to destroy it. James Caan and Will Ferrell in "Elf," 2003. "When we had Will in the Lincoln Tunnel, the tunnel was open. It took him a while to get with the programming. In Elf, he was able to channel a workaholic publishing executive who refuses to reprint a childrens book missing a couple of pages in the name of the almighty dollar, and who is annoyed if not terrified to learn he might unknowingly have a son from a previous relationship. The first script for Elf was actually written in 1993, with Jim Carrey in mind to play the titular Santa's helper. "[Caan's] like, 'Hey, I've gotta tell you something. 4. As Favreau explained to Rolling Stone, they made two sets, with Favreau on the one positioned closer to the camera, and lined them up so that it looked like Ferrell was sitting right next to the people on the other set. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Buddys childlike innocence can get anybody into the holiday spirit, including his Scrooge-like biological dad, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Buddy's all-sugar diet also became Ferrell's daily food intake while filming as he actually scarfed down all of that maple syrup-coated spaghetti and candy during scenes. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Salvation Army. "I was really lucky that my job in the film was to try to drive him crazy, and I would," Ferrell explained to Blackfilm. "I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie and I didn't get a lot of sleep," Ferrell told The Sun. Actor James Caan at home playing a guitar on April 16,1970 in Hollywood, California. James Caan, the Oscar-nominated star of The Godfather, Misery and Elf, has died at the age of 82. The wardrobe department even mimicked the famous puppet-like costumes with permission for Buddy, Santa and the other elves. The elf Ming Ming oversees toy production and unintentionally helps Buddy realize he's a human. And the cast struggled, too. This was back when the pair were pre-Saturday Night Live, and part of The Groundlings comedy troupe. But the director said lining up a large set and small set required extremely precise lighting to control continuity between the appearance of both the background and foreground. All of us were a little scared of James Caan, producer Jon Berg said in the Netflix documentary series The Movies That Made Us., From 1980: The Candid Caan Real Life, No Sharks. Gimbels Santa and Buddy had one take to film the North Pole fight scene. Its hard to make out exactly what Michael says Dirk Lawson, the long-haired man at the biker bar, wants for Christmas, but it turns out he wants a day of pampering at Burke Williams spa. Nothing embarrassing about that, Dirk. As a kid growing up in Philadelphia, future Elf screenwriter David Berenbaum loved Christmas despite being Jewish. 10. For North Pole scenes, two sets were builtone larger scale for the actors playing elves, the other smaller to make Buddy and Santa look big. But they even managed to use Riverview for the Hobbs' chic Manhattan apartment and the Gimbels department store interior, which was in the former cafeteria. I constantly stayed up. ", In hindsight, it's clear that casting Ferrell was key to the movie's success. She explained to Variety, "There are worse things in the world to eat than that, but we had been doing it for hours." Bob enjoyed a long run inThe Big Bang Theoryas recurring character Arthur Jeffries before the series ended. After the show ended, Peter landed the principal role in theCyrano, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2022. "We were half-joking, saying, Maybe someday this will be like Christmas Story where every year they'll watch it.'". That meant they could buy the license to the brand, but there was no Gimbels store to shoot in. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. But while youve probably seen this movie hundreds of times since it came out in 2003, you still likely missed these things while watching Elf. Okay, technically it was an abandoned mental hospital, where the production team constructed the interior sets for Walter's Central Park West apartment, Gimbels's lavish toy department, and that grim prison cell. Yes, even if youve seen it a million times. While reporter Charlotte is interviewing people about seeing Santas sleigh in Central Park, a man takes over the interview by complimenting her. 2023 E! Casting him as the lead in a family Christmas movie was a risk, but Ferrell saw doing something different as a great opportunity. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Ferrell's brother Patrick Ferrell played one of the security guards that drags Buddy out of the Empire State Building. Since former brick-and-mortar New York City department store Gimbels was no longer in business at the time of filming, Favreau said his team got creative. On your next Elf rewatch, take a second to pause and admire the scale Lego model of the New York skyline that Buddy builds for the Gimbels Santaland. "Christmas movies are about spirit winning . Ferrell had it worse. I can make some money, let my kids do what the hell they want to do,' he told theBull & Fox show on Clevelands 92.3 FM radio station. A Buzzfeed employee picked up on an adorable fact about Buddy and Jovies babys name at the end of the film. Born in the Bronx in 1940, he emerged as a virile leading man in the 1970s. 6. We remember Favreau on screen as the doctor that administers Buddy's DNA . He told Rolling Stone that it was an essential part of the movie'sretro Christmas feel, with a particular nod to Rankin/Bass. It's unlikely that we'll get to see an Elf 2, at least not one that stars Will Ferrell. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan and More. Together, this trio traveled around the city, looking for mischief for Buddy to get into with random passersby turned background extras. He is Buddy and Michael Hobbs's father, Emily Hobbs's husband, Jovie's father-in-law, and Susie's paternal grandfather. But hey, everyone knows the sequel is never as good as the original, so maybe it was for the best. Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit. James Caan and Linda Caan during "Elf" New York Premiere at Loews Astor Plaza in New York City, New York, United States. Luckily, James Caan, who played Walter Hobbs in the movie, finally revealed why in September 2020. . Fun fact: Redbone also sings Baby, Its Cold Outside with Deschanel during the credits. 'Elf' Cast: Where Are They Now? In a 2010 PEOPLE profile, Scott called his dad "one of the greatest actors of all time" and said his father had "always been there for me no matter what." Originally, Favreau wanted to use Macy's, but the brand refused to show a Macy's Santa being unmasked (unbearded) as a fake. In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview , director Jon Favreau recalled . Just leave it to Ferrell. Elves thrive on the four main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup, of course), but one of the dumb things we all ignored in Elf was that Buddy, as a human, would probably be very ill, if not dead, on this diet. Though his career was already impressive, he has only continued to cement himself as a comedy legend! It was The Godfather trilogy.". He told Blackfilm in 2003, "The appeal of it was to be able to shoot a film that would be funny but also heartfelt and be a different type of thing for me to do something that a family audience would see. However, Simon and Garfunkels concert in Central Park actually occurred in 1981, with the musicians releasing an album of it in 1982. He explained that he didn't want to face criticism and accusations of money-grabbing if it didn't turn out as well as the first one, adding, "I didn't want to wander into an area that could erase all the good work I've done.". Zooey has starred in iconic movies like500 Days of Summer, andlater acted in her hit showNew Girlfrom 2011-2018. But it sort of backfired. We shot right up until we destroy the place," Lange said. Born in New York City on March 26, 1940, to Sophie and Arthur Caan, Jewish immigrants from Germany, James Caan went to Michigan State University on an athletic scholarship before turning to Off-Broadway, according to a 1975 PEOPLE profile. 18. He even landed a role inSpiderMan: Far From Homein 2019. I liked the notion of being involved with Will in his first solo movie after SNL, but it wasn't quite there.". most people who have seen it would be, too. Rather than standard jack-in-the-boxes that would pop at the song's end, these were remote controlled by Favreau, who purposely manipulated their timing to toy with his star and get authentic reactions. Ming Ming the elf is played by A Christmas Story star Peter Billingsley in a cameo role, a casting move Favreau made for a specific reason. Caan might have seemed like an unusual choice for a broad holiday comedy, the seriousness of his career and sternness of his characters almost off-putting. July 8, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Movie tough guy James Caan, whose work spanned generations in such big-screen classics as "The Godfather," "Misery" and "Elf," died Wednesday, his family said. Favreau chose that location so that Ferrells character would be kicked out of the Empire State Building and stumble directly into the store decorated like the North Pole. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. The elf Ming Ming oversees toy production and unintentionally helps Buddy realize hes a human. "Whenever he was out there in his suit, we'd hear screeches and fender-benders and lights smashing. The Godfather (1972) Caan immortalized himself in what would become his signature role as lovable hothead Santino "Sonny" Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's Mafia epic. If youre a child of the 90s and 2000s, it probably feels like just yesterday that you were cracking up watching Will Ferrells hilarious adventure to find his dad in the holidayclassic, Elf, for the first time.