Credit: New Line CinemaElf (2003) is one of the highest-rated Christmas movies of all time. Directed by Jon Favreau (2019’s The Lion King), the film stars comedy icon Will Ferrell (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers) as Buddy, a human who was adopted by Santa Claus (Ed Asner) and his elves after accidentally winding up in the North Pole as a baby.
One Christmas, Buddy decides to go looking for his estranged birth father after he ends up on Santa’s naughty list. But when he tracks down his dad, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a grumpy children’s book publishing executive living in New York City, and also accidentally lands a job working at a Gimbels department store, plenty of fish-out-of-water antics ensue.
But did you know that the beloved film has been adapted in other forms? Over the past 21 years, Elf has spanned all sorts of tie-in media, from games to story books and animated films to stage plays. Only a cotton-headed ninny muggins wouldn’t read on to find out more!
Elf (2003)
Charming, heart-warming, and hilarious, Elf is one of Will Ferrell‘s better films and it doesn’t even rely on R-rated humor to get by like some of his other flicks. Watching Buddy explore the Big Apple at Christmastime like a fish out of water (or a narwhal) is great fun. Elf is also responsible for some of the most popular GIFs, including the “revolving door” scene.
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Elf (Musical)
The Broadway musical of the same name started during the 2010 Christmas season. Though Will Ferrell is nowhere to be seen, the stage play retains all the elements of the film with a sprinkling of its own magic–namely in the form of infectious musical numbers. It has since been revived and has even played in London’s West End. Visit the website to find out more.
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Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas
Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas is an hour-long stop-motion animated musical television special based on the film and the Broadway musical. The only returning cast member is Ed Asner (Santa Claus), while newcomers include Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper) as Buddy the Elf and Mark Hamill (Star Wars‘ Luke Skywalker) as Walter Hobbs
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Elf (Storybook)
Part of the POP Classics storybook series, “
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“Elf” (Video Game)
Lastly, there’s the Elf video game, based on the 2003 film. Released for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Human Soft, and published by Crave Entertainment, “Elf” follows the same beats as the film, allowing players to experience a level-based format and minigames. Sadly, it’s the only installment on this list to have wound up on critics’ naughty lists.
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Where Can I Watch Elf?
You can stream Elf and Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas on Amazon Prime Video.
Elf is one of the most fun, heart-warming Christmas movies of recent times, and Favreau’s efforts to package the film as a charming storybook adaptation (it isn’t) certainly pay off. The ensemble cast, from Zooey Deschanel’s Jovie to Mary Steenburgen‘s Emily Hobbs, are also excellent additions to what would otherwise feel like a Ferrell-dominated picture.
Check out the official trailer for Elf below:
Elf stars Will Ferrell (Buddy Hobbs/Buddy the Elf), James Caan (Walter Hobbs), Zooey Deschanel (Jovie), Mary Steenburgen (Emily Hobbs), Ed Asner (Santa Claus), Bob Newhart (Papa Elf), Daniel Tay (Michael Hobbs), Faizon Love (Wanda), Peter Dinklage (Miles Finch), Amy Sedaris (Deb), and Michael Lerner (Fulton Greenway).
Are you familiar with all the Elf tie-in media? Let us know in the comments!