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.

Is Gimbels from Elf a real store?

Warner Bros. When the security guards at Walter's office throw Buddy out, they suggest he go back to Santaland at Gimbels. The highly festive store is heavily featured throughout the rest of "Elf," but viewers may not have realized that Gimbels was a real department store in New York City that closed in 1986.

Where is the coffee shop from Elf located?

Buddy enters the coffee shop scene in Elf

Though set in New York City, this scene was filmed quite a distance away in Vancouver, Canada. The location is 20 E Hastings Street, a spot that might not be instantly recognizable today due to changes over time.

Did they film Elf at 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.

Where was Elf mostly filmed?

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.

Elf (2003) Filming Locations

What store did they use for Gimbels in Elf?

Manhattan's Textile Building was used as the exterior shot for Gimbels in the movie, according to the IMDb page for "Elf." CGI was used to transform the building's facade into a Christmas wonderland for the film, its IMDb page says.

Were the New York scenes in Elf 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.

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.

How old was Zooey Deschanel in Elf?

I was only 21 when I made that movie. I remember sitting—I was at my parents' house because I basically just dropped out of college to be an actor—and I remember sitting at my parents' house reading that script and laughing out loud. Since then, I've seen that that's a good sign." Deschanel said.

Why did Elf use Gimbels?

Instead, Buddy winds up working at Gimbels, a once popular competitor of Macy's that closed back in the '80s. The popular Christmas movie came out in 2003. So why not Macy's? "Macy's was willing to let us shoot there, use their Santaland, even incorporate us into the parade," director Jon Favreau told Rolling Stone.

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.

Is there a real Central Perk in NY?

One more thing to know about Central Perk in real life is that there was at one point a pop-up café based on the fictional coffeehouse at 199 Lafayette St. in Manhattan.

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.

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.

Is Gimbels in New York still open?

New York flagship store

When this building opened, on September 29, 1910, a major selling point was its many doors leading to the Herald Square New York City Subway station. Due to such easy access, by the time Gimbels closed in 1986, this store had the highest rate of "shrinkage", or shoplifting losses, in the world.

Where is 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.

What finally happened with Buddy and Jovie?

Eventually Jovie and Buddy got married, and they spent many Christmases together. They had a baby girl whom they name Susie. Jovie, Buddy and Susie visited the North Pole. There, Jovie met Papa Elf.

Who owns the sleigh from Elf?

The prop was purchased by Elf fan Mark Bozek, an entrepreneur on New York's Long Island, who snagged the sleigh at an online auction 20 years ago for $12,000 following a bidding war. It was quite a jump up from his original bid of $500.

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.

Who was originally supposed to play Elf?

The original script for the movie in the early 1990s had comedian Jim Carrey chosen to star in the role of Buddy the Elf. Turns out, Carrey ended up playing a very different Christmas character in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Was Elf filmed in a mental hospital?

Elf might be a story that's rooted as deeply in New York City as it is in the North Pole, but limitations restricted the amount of time Favreau and his team could spend on location in the Big Apple. As a result, an abandoned asylum ended up serving as the backdrop to huge swathes of the production.

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!

What year is Elf set in?

New York is a city in New York state. It is the main setting for Elf. New York City, in Elf, is set in 2003, 2 years after 9/11 at the World Trade Center. Buddy the elf goes there to find his father, Walter Hobbs, who is working at the Empire State Building.

Was Elf filmed with random people?

There were no extras, hired actors, or street closures during the limited filming that happened in New York, so they simply had Ferrell wander through the city streets and interact with real people. These scenes were filmed in early December 2002, so New York was already looking festive.