Tour ‘Elf’ film locations in NYC to celebrate its 20th anniversary
Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?
Tuesday, Nov. 7, marks the 20th anniversary of the modern classic Christmas movie “Elf.”
The movie stars Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf — a human who is mistakenly raised among elves at the North Pole — as he takes a journey to NYC to meet his biological father, grumpy book publisher Walter (James Caan).
Along the way, Buddy, who has a childlike innocence, learns lessons, like the fact that other people think it’s weird to eat spaghetti with maple syrup on it, or the fact that other people think that it’s not an acceptable way to answer a phone with the opening, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”
He also falls in love with department store worker Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), and he gets into a fight with a pre-“Game of Thrones” fame Peter Dinklage.
Despite the cheery flick grossing more than $220 million at the box office at the time and even spawning a 2010 Broadway musical, a sequel never came to fruition. Ferrell has previously stated that he turned down a $29 million paycheck for a sequel, because it wasn’t good.
“I remember asking myself: could I withstand the criticism when it’s bad and they say, ‘He did the sequel for the money?’ I decided I wouldn’t be able to,” he said.
The company On Location Tours is touring the Manhattan locations of the film on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.
The tour includes a visit to Bethesda Terrace (where Buddy and Santa escape the evil Central Park Rangers), the Pinebank Arch (where the snowball fight scene takes place), the Empire State Building (where Buddy’s father works) and Macy’s.
“The tour is packed with fun behind-the-scenes secrets and filming trivia and is led by a local actor tour guide (who doubles as the ultimate Elf fan). So don’t forget your festive elf hat, and as Leon the Snowman tells Buddy: Don’t eat the yellow snow!” the tour proclaims.
