When “Elf” Debuted In 2003 It Opened At Number 2, Right Under The Matrix Revolutions

On December 18, wear something green, pick up the phone, and celebrate Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day! There have been dozens of excellent Christmas movies released through the years, but perhaps none as lovable as Will Ferrell’s Elf. So, this December 18th repeat after us: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” 

• 1993 – David Berenbaum wrote the original Elf script, which was a dark comedy meant for an older audience. Berenbaum wrote the script for Elf with Jim Carrey in mind to star as Buddy.
• 2002 – Will Ferrell left SNL and embarked on his own film career.
• 2003 – Elf the movie debuted in theaters, opening at number 2 at the box office, right under The Matrix Revolutions.
• 2010 – Elf the Musical debuted on Broadway for the Christmas season. Buddy was played by Sebastian Arcelus.
• 2013 – Though the comedian reprised the role of Ron Burgundy for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and returned as Mugatu in Zoolander 2, he flat-out rejected the possibility of bringing back Buddy, even after being offered a reported $29 million. In December 2013, he said, “I just think it would look slightly pathetic if I tried to squeeze back in the elf tights: Buddy the middle-aged elf.”
• 2018 – an organization called Do Something Nice decided to turn this small but memorable moment into a special day. They wanted to make the world a bit brighter, one phone call at a time.
• 2023 – Elf returned to theaters in 2023.
• The film’s director was willing to give Ferrell the flexibility to make Buddy his own (many of our favorite classic lines were improvised by Ferrell, including “You sit on a throne of lies”)
• Some of the most memorable Buddy the Elf quotes are:
  • “So, good news…I saw a dog today.”
  • “I’m sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR.”
  • “I thought maybe we could make gingerbread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands.”
  • “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.”
• Remember the awesome scene where Buddy’s playing with the jack-in-the-boxes? All of Will Ferrell’s reactions were for real — the release mechanism was controlled off-stage and was only triggered when Ferrell had been waiting for a while.
• Before anything else, decide on your elf name. Make it fun and catchy! Think “Sparkle Sugarsocks” or “Jingle Snowflake.”  When the phone rings, answer with, “This is [Your Elf Name], what’s your favorite color?” Imagine the surprise and giggles on the other end!
• Elf is the fifth highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time. The 2003 film’s opening weekend earned over $31 million and was only beaten out to be number one that weekend by The Matrix Revolutions.
•  Considering the average budget for a film ranges anywhere from $70 to $90 million, Elf did very well with its lower budget consisting of $33 million. Every single penny was well spent as you can bet the movie is in most people’s lexicon of favorite Christmas films.
• People just can’t get enough of Buddy the Elf! It’s first week performed on Broadway, Elf: The Musical grossed over $1 million
• Q: What kind of music do elves like best?
  • A: Wrap music!
• Q: What do you call an elf who wins the lottery?
  • A: Welfy!
• Q: What’s the first thing elf children learn in school?
  • A: The elf-abet!
• Q: What kind of photos do elves like taking?
  • A: Elfies of course!
• Years before SNL or Elf, Will Ferrell worked as a mall Santa.
• Much of the snow you see in Elf was often computer-generated.
• The studio didn’t get some of the jokes in Elf.
• Will Ferrell went method in Elf with those jack-in-the-boxes.
• Will Ferrell frolicked all over New York City in character for Elf.

Sources:

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