Will Ferrell Replaced Chris Farley in 'Elf' After Option Lapsed

The 2003 comedy Elf nearly starred Chris Farley before Will Ferrell took the lead role. The film required nearly ten years of development to reach theaters.

Screenwriter David Berenbaum began writing the script in 1995 after moving to Los Angeles. He drew inspiration from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the character Josh Baskin from the film Big. Berenbaum modeled Buddy, the human elf, on these figures. He decided to kill off Buddy's mother to focus the plot on the search for his father. This choice mirrored Berenbaum's own childhood experience with his father's death.

The Motion Picture Company of America first optioned the script. Chris Farley attached as the star early in the process. Berenbaum rewrote the material with Farley in mind. Scheduled meetings between the writer and the comedian never took place. The exclusive option expired after one year without a production start. A second company optioned the script later but did not move forward with it either.

Berenbaum joined the Disney Writing Program after the script gained attention. He spent two years rewriting projects for the studio. Disney had the chance to produce Elf but did not proceed. During this period, Berenbaum wrote The Haunted Mansion. That film starring Eddie Murphy opened in theaters a few weeks after Elf. The history also notes that Will Ferrell and Andy Richter appeared together on Strangers with Candy in 1999. That series was produced by Kent Alterman, a Comedy Central executive who later helped greenlight Elf.

Producer Jon Berg and co-producer Todd Komarnicki signed on in 2000 to shepherd the project. They agreed to work without guaranteed pay until the film was made. They identified Ferrell as the ideal candidate for the role. Julie Wixson Darmody, working in the office of Jimmy Miller, called Ferrell to pitch the premise. She described the character as a human raised at the North Pole who must go to New York. She noted the script needed work but urged him to read it.

Ferrell reacted to the material with immediate interest. He told the book's authors that he saw the potential for a strong film. The production team moved forward with Ferrell attached. The film eventually entered production and premiered in 2003. It became a staple of holiday television. The new book, Elf Unwrapped: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Christmas Classic, details these events through interviews with cast and crew members. Andy Richter, who had a small role in the movie, wrote the book with Aaron Karo.