Buddy at the North Pole scene in Elf Interestingly, while the movie is set in New York City and the North Pole, many interior shots were filmed in an abandoned mental hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Riverview Hospital, located in Coquitlam, east of Vancouver, served as the backdrop for these scenes.

Was the New York scene in elf improvised?

In the scene where Buddy explores New York City, the bulk of his onscreen antics were improvised. Filmmaker Jon Favreau admitted that the shooting process only allowed for fast shots of the main character acting opposite real New Yorkers.

Was elf filmed inside Macy's?

As Favreau revealed to ABC News, the Elf team asked Macy's if they could use the store for the movie, but Macy's declined. He told the publication: "Because we're using a Santa, of course, everybody thinks Macy's. "But Macy's didn't like the idea that there was a fake Santa working there.

What city was elf filmed in?

Filming. Principal photography began on December 9, 2002, and wrapped on March 7, 2003. Filming took place in New York City, as well as in Vancouver and at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia. The film makes heavy use of forced perspective to exaggerate the size of Buddy compared to all the other elves.

Where did they film the elf scene in Central Park?

In honor of the 20 year anniversary of the movie Elf. This is the bridge in the scene where Buddy tries to redeem himself in Micheals eyes with his snowballing skills, seeing off the “bad news” kids. The Pine Bank Arch Bridge in Central Park is located at West 62nd Street.

How They Made Elf | The Holiday Movies That Made Us

Was the Elf New York scene real?

– The outdoor scenes shot in New York City feature real people so many of the reactions you see are genuine! – In fact, several minor traffic accidents occurred when Will Ferrell walked through the Lincoln Tunnel in his costume, because people were so surprised and distracted to see a grown man wearing an elf outfit.

Is Gimbels in Elf a real store?

Fun fact: Producers wanted to feature the famous Macy's 34th street location, the largest store in the world, but Macy's refused to have their name used. So they settled on Gimbels, a now defunct NY department store–the exterior was shot at 5th Avenue and E 30th St and decorated with CGI.

How much did Will Ferrell get paid for Elf?

Elf was Will Ferrell's second box office hit. He reportedly received a whopping salary of $17 million for that film alone, more on par with what his talents would dictate in the mid-2000s. He was allegedly offered $29 million to act in an Elf sequel, but couldn't get his heart into it, so he turned it down.

How old was Will Ferrell when he filmed Elf?

This actually makes Buddy a fair amount younger than Will Ferrell himself, who was 35 years old at the time of Elf's filming, and 36 when the movie was released to theaters.

Was Elf filmed in a mental hospital?

Interestingly, while the movie is set in New York City and the North Pole, many interior shots were filmed in an abandoned mental hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Riverview Hospital, located in Coquitlam, east of Vancouver, served as the backdrop for these scenes.

What replaced Gimbels in NYC?

The mall replaced the former flagship store of the Gimbels department store chain, which operated from 1910 to 1986. It opened in 1989 as a shopping center called A&S Plaza and was rebranded Manhattan Mall in 1995.

Why did Macy's refuse to be in Elf?

Macy's, however, didn't like the idea of being associated with an “imposter” Santa Claus, according to Favreau. So if “Elf” wanted to film at the Santaland in Macy's, or even mention Macy's in the movie, the scene had to go. “We had to think long and hard about it,” Favreau told Rolling Stone in 2013.

Who else auditioned for Elf?

Jim Carrey was supposed to play Buddy the Elf.

Although Jim Carrey didn't end up in this film you probably recognise him as playing The Grinch. An actor called Chris Farley was also asked to play Buddy but the writer of Elf didn't think he was a good fit. It took years before they found the perfect Buddy.

Did James Caan really play the piano in Elf?

James Caan was a true delight. My favorite memory of him was shooting part of a montage for the end of Elf and he started playing piano — he played beautifully — I sang and he played and I was just astonished by his talent!

Did people know they were filming Elf?

I put him in those situations and he had to improvise and stay in character while dealing with people who, for the most part, didn't even know they were in a movie."

Was Jim Carrey in Elf?

The first script for Elf was written way back in 1993 with Jim Carrey in mind to play Buddy. However, as the project took years to get off the ground, The Mask star never ended up taking on the role.

Did Zooey Deschanel really sing in the movie Elf?

Deschanel made her on-screen singing debut in The New Guy (2002). In Elf (2003), she sings "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Will Ferrell in the bathroom shower scene, "Auld Lang Syne" with James Caan on piano and with Leon Redbone on the soundtrack.

Did Will Ferrell refuse Elf 2?

It was reported that Will was offered a whopping $29million to appear in a sequel but he still refused to budge for the massive pay cheque. Will, who has had previous success with Anchorman 2, Daddy's Home 2 and Zoolander 2, said it would be 'pathetic' to try and remake Elf.

Why was Zooey Deschanel blonde in Elf?

“I had to dye my hair blonde for a screen test for a movie that never happened before I did Elf,” Deschanel told Stylecaster in a March 2019 interview. “I went in for the meeting for Elf, and then I asked them, 'Could I dye my hair back to my natural color? ' And they said, 'No.

Who turned down the movie Elf?

1. Jim Carrey as Buddy the Elf in Elf. The script for Elf was first written in 1993, and at the time, Carrey was attached to star in it. However, the movie did not immediately go into production, and by the time it did in 2003, Carrey was no longer interested in the role.

What ethnicity is Will Ferrell?

Ferrell's ancestry includes English, German, and Irish. As an infant Ferrell suffered from pyloric stenosis and had a pyloromyotomy to correct the condition. He has a younger brother, Patrick. When he was eight years old, his parents divorced.

What happened to Buddy the Elf's mom?

Papa Elf reveals that Buddy was born to Walter Hobbs (James Caan) and Susan Wells and given up for adoption and that Walter never knew of his existence. He explains how Susan later died and that Walter now works at a children's book company in New York City.

Did Will Ferrell eat the gum in Elf?

So that actually was the fun part of doing the role. Was the sidewalk gum pre-cleaned for you? WF: No, we didn't have a big enough budget, so I actually had to eat old New York City gum. But it wasn't as bad as you would think, still relatively favorable.

What is Gimbels New York now?

The store became a Stern's in 1995, and the mall was renamed Manhattan Mall.