Elf (2003): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Elf is a 2003 fantasy comedy directed by Jon Favreau, starring Edward Asner, Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes and earned $230.3 million worldwide on a $33 million budget. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Jon Favreau
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- New Line Cinema
- Budget
- $33M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Elf About?
The premise of Elf without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Raised as an elf in the North Pole, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs. Walter is a workaholic businessman who doesn't initially recognize Buddy. As Buddy navigates the human world, his childlike innocence and quirky elf mannerisms create humorous and chaotic situations, ultimately leading him on a heartwarming quest to connect with his family and spread Christmas cheer.
Elf Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- christmas
- santa claus
- christmas movie
- father son relationship
- elf
- north pole
- christmas spirit
- man looking for missing parent
- snowball fight
- holiday
- meeting biological father
- santa claus costume
+38 more Show fewer
- department store santa
- santa's sleigh
- christmas season
- live action and animation
- christmas elf
- naughty list
- eating
- food
- coffee
- central park manhattan new york city
- book publisher
- corporate world
- man child
- santa claus character
- original story
- one word title
- children's author
- adoptive father adopted son relationship
- stowaway
- woman in a shower
- singing in the shower
- asking someone out on a date
- police officer
- 2000s
- belching
- snow adventure
- singing in a store
- orphanage
- dna test
- pop tarts
- new york
- restraining order
- new york city
- baby
- vomiting
- puffin
- female in a shower
- central park rangers
Elf Cast
Edward Asner leads the cast, with Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart. Directed by Jon Favreau.
-
Director Jon Favreau
Elf Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Elf 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
-
IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 86% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 79%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 66 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
Elf Plot Summary
What happens in Elf from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Thirty years before the events of the film unfold, a baby accidentally finds his way into Santa’s sack at an orphanage. Unbeknownst to Santa, he takes the baby back to the North Pole, where Papa Elf is tasked with raising him. This baby, named Buddy, grows up without realizing he is actually human until his enormous size and lack of toy-making skills prompt Papa Elf to reveal the truth. The old elf informs Buddy that he was born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells and put up for adoption. Walter, unaware of Buddy’s existence, is now living in New York and working at a children’s book company. Learning of his father’s existence—and that he is on Santa’s naughty list—Buddy resolves to journey to New York to find him.
Full summary
The whole story of Elf, scene by scene
Elf Box Office & Budget
Elf grossed $230.3 million worldwide on a $33 million budget, 7.0 times what it cost. $178.1 million came from the US and Canada and $51.7 million (23%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$230.3M
7.0× its budget
- US & Canada
- $178.1M
- International
- $51.7M
- Budget
- $33M
Elf Trailers & Videos
14 videos: 5 trailers, 8 clips and 1 behind-the-scenes video.
- Trailer Elf - Trailer
- Trailer Official Trailer 2019
- Trailer Elf (2003) Original Trailer [FHD]
- Trailer 4K Trailer
How Well Do You Know Elf?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
How did Buddy end up at the North Pole?
Cars in Elf
20 cars on screen, including the 1992 Ford Crown Victoria and the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria.
-
1992 Ford Crown Victoria Minor role -
1998 Ford Crown Victoria Minor role -
2002 BMW 3 E46 Background role -
2003 Buick Century Background role
Elf Also Known As
35 alternative titles, including “エルフ サンタのくにからやってきた” and “Elf, el duende”.
- Also known as
-
- エルフ サンタのくにからやってきた
- Elf, el duende
- Um Duende em Nova York
- Елф
- Le lutin
- Enchantada Christmas
- Vilenjak
- Vánocní skrítek
- Alf
- Elfe
- Buddy, der Weihnachtself
- Το ξωτικό των Χριστουγέννων
+23 more Show fewer
- Mi a manó
- Álfur
- एल्फ़
- Elf - Un elfo di nome Buddy
- エルフ サンタの国からやってきた
- Elfas
- Elf - O Falso Duende
- Elful
- Эльф
- Вилењак
- Škrat
- 엘프
- 精靈總動員
- Ельф
- Enchanted
- ปาฏิหาริย์เทวดาตัวบิ๊ก
- Buddy - Der Weihnachtself
- 圣诞精灵
- Vánoční skřítek
- קטן עליו
- Chàng Tiên Đáng Yêu
- エルフ 〜サンタの国からやってきた〜, ელფი
- Päkapikk
Seen Elf?
Movies Like Elf
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Elf Me, Elf Bowling: The Movie and The Happy Elf.
Elf FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Elf, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Elf?
Elf runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was Elf released?
Elf was released on November 7, 2003.
Who directed Elf?
Elf was directed by Jon Favreau.
More films by Jon Favreau Who is in the cast of Elf?
Elf stars Edward Asner, Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart.
How much did Elf make at the box office?
Elf grossed $230.3 million worldwide ($178.1 million domestic, $51.7 million international) on a budget of $33 million.
How is Elf rated?
Elf has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
Does Elf have a post-credit scene?
No. Elf has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
