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Despite the abundance of Christmas and holiday films in Hollywood, Will Ferrell’sElfremains an evergreen classic. The comedy actor established himself through the movie while making it a definitive marker of the merry season for years to come. The influence of the movie is so magnanimous that it continues to influence new generations of fans even 20 years down the line.
![Will Ferrell in Elf [Credit: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/31020256/Will-Ferrell-in-Elf-Credit-New-Line-Cinema-Warner-Bros.-.jpg)
However, there was once a time whenElfwas nearly destroyed by its original vision. The film was not only going to be made in a different era but it was also designed to have another comedy legend as the lead. Most surprising of all is that the movie’s original script was hardly the same as the one audiences know and love today.
Elf– The ultimate Christmas classic!
When it comes to audience favoritism, there are simplytoo many holiday classicsto choose from. It could beHome Alonefor some andMiracle on 34th Streetfor others. Or if one wanted to go down a truly controversial route, the ultimate Christmas film could even be classified asDie Hard.
However,Will Ferrell‘sElfstands a class apart. For decades, the movie has defined the Christmas spirit and held up an image of the greatest city in the world through the eyes of a childlike and innocent watcher. Ferrell not only captures the wonder and excitement of witnessing the magic of Christmas in New York but the cheer of the holiday season as well.
![Will Ferrell in Elf [Credit: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/31020317/Will-Ferrell-in-Elf-Credit-New-Line-Cinema-Warner-Bros-1024x577.jpg)
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But despite its perfections,Elfdid not stay true to its original vision. The Will Ferrell classic had to go through layers of transformation to reach the final cut. The original script, in the meantime, remains lost to the public. The only information that exists about the alternate version is the director’s word for it.
Will Ferrell’sElfgoes through a drastic change
The movie that knocks every other holiday classic out of the park, i.e.Elfwould have gone down a darker path, if not forIron Mandirector Jon Favreau. At the time, both Favreau and Ferrell were wet behind the years, with the former having worked in only a handful of projects and the latter with an SNL career to kick offhis reputation in Hollywood.
However,Elfneither stuck to its original vision nor its choice to star Jim Carrey in the lead. Moreover, the film itself was shifted from the 1990s to the early 2000s – a choice that had a radical effect on the Christmas classic.
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In a 2020 interview withRolling Stone, Jon Favreau shared a few secrets aboutElf‘s original script, saying:
I took a look at the script, and I wasn’t particularly interested. It was a much darker version of the film […] So for a year, I rewrote the script. It turned into more of a PG movie from a PG-13. [Elf] was a darker character in the script I had read originally. The character became a bit more innocent, and the world became more of a pastiche of the Rankin/Bass films.
![Will Ferrell in Elf [Credit: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/31020306/Elf-Credit-New-Line-Cinema.jpg)
For Will Ferrell,Elfturned out to be a game changer, establishing the SNL veteran as a new icon of comedy and establishing the actor as an industry favorite for generations to come. The film itself was changed into a holiday classic for all time in Hollywood.
Elfis available to stream on Max and Hulu.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2409
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
