Key Takeaways
- Role Offer: Zooey Deschanel was initially informed that Katie Holmes had been offered the role of Jovie in Elf.
- Sequel Insights: Will Ferrell declined a sequel due to concerns about its quality and his motivations for taking the role.
- Director’s Stance: Jon Favreau believes that Elf has a complete story and sees no need for a sequel.
- Box Office Success: Elf grossed over $228 million worldwide, solidifying its status as a Christmas classic.
‘Tis the season for holiday movies, and Will Ferrell’s Elf has become a classic over the last twenty years, with families making it an annual part of their Christmas traditions. Zooey Deschanel also starred in Elf as Jovie, Buddy’s love interest, but it was a role she didn’t think she would get. When she arrived for her audition, director Jon Favreau informed her that they had already offered the role to Katie Holmes.
Katie Holmes Was Originally Offered the Role in Elf
“When I met with Jon Favreau, the director, he was like, ‘Oh, you don’t need to read. We just offered it to Katie Holmes,’” Deschanel explained on the Call Me Daddy podcast. “And I was like, ‘Oh, Okay, cool,’ and he’s like, ‘Sit down and talk for a minute.’“
Deschanel continued, “What was great about that was like, I wasn’t nervous. It’s like when you’re an actor, you’re like first starting, and you’re auditioning, you get nervous, and you’re like psyching yourself up. I wasn’t nervous at all, because I was like, ‘Well, I’m not getting the part.’“
However, when Holmes dropped out, Deschanel was offered the part, and the rest is history. Elf was a huge success, grossing over $228 million worldwide and becoming a modern Christmas classic.
What About Elf 2?
With any successful and beloved film, there’s always a temptation to make a sequel; thankfully, those involved have resisted the urge… for now. It’s not for lack of trying; Will Ferrell said that a sequel script was written and he was offered $29 million (nearly the entire budget of the original) to return.
He explained that the sequel felt like a “rehashed premise,” and he knew he would have been taking it purely for the money. “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,’” he said. “And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can; so I guess I can’t do the movie.’“
Jon Favreau also isn’t keen on making a sequel. “I think there’s always room for new Christmas movies; that particular film, I don’t know what story would be told after that,” he told Variety in 2023. “It’s very complete.“
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