After Years Of Rumors, Will Ferrell Explains What Happened With Jon Favreau On Elf
Elf is considered by many to be one of the best Christmas movies of all time (it’s even Prince William’s favorite). Will Ferrell is absolutely hilarious as Buddy, a human who was raised by elves. It’s such a classic that you’d never think there was tension behind the scenes between Ferrell and director Jon Favreau. Rumors have persisted over the years, and the Old School star has spoken out to explain what actually happened.
Will Ferrell wouldn’t classify his relationship to Jon Favreau as a feud, but when he touched on their dynamic while filming 2003’s Elf, he did acknowledge that they were coming at the movie from different angles. Speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ferrell said:
I think there was just…. I was always pushing for sillier comedy at times a little more. Yeah, just let’s explore this out. Jon really wanted us — for it to have a really strong story and heart.
I can definitely see Will Ferrell wanting to lean into the silliness of Buddy the Elf — and how that level of absurdity might not mesh with a director who’s concerned with making something heart-warming. Ferrell suggests they each compromised to give the other a little of what they wanted, saying:
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And so I would kind of go, after we had kind of taken a couple passes at a scene, I’d be like, ‘OK, I see what you’re talking about now.’ And then I think Jon would let me do my thing and be like, ‘OK, I see what you’re talking about.’ And I think that push-pull is what you see [in the finished film].
It is definitely the combination of silliness and heart that makes Elf so special all these years later, so however it came about, I’m glad that both Will Ferrell and Jon Favreau were able to execute their visions. According to reports over the years, though, they never truly saw eye to eye, and that contention may have been why Elf 2 never happened.
James Caan, who played Buddy’s father, said a sequel was planned but, “the director and Will didn’t get along very well.” He said the contracts had both Will Ferrell and Jon Favreau attached, but Ferrell “didn’t want the director,” so he walked.
Will Ferrell gave a different version of that story back in 2021, saying he turned down $29 million for the sequel because of its “rehashed premise.” He said at the time:
I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I just couldn’t turn down that much money. And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.’
I’m admittedly OK with there not being a sequel to Elf, especially if it would have failed to live up to what has become part of my Christmas traditions. And while Jon Favreau and Will Ferrell were able to make it through one movie with their different approaches, it’s probably for the best that they parted ways afterward.
They each continue to stay busy, with Jon Favreau writing and directing this year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and Will Ferrell most recently starring in Netflix’s The Hawk. If you want to revisit their 2003 project, Elf is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
