Elf director Jon Favreau reveals Easter egg he included as a nod to classic Christmas movie

“Buddy the Elf, what is your favorite color?”

Fans of the favorite of the season, Elf, know Buddy (Will Ferrell) as a man who grew up in the North Pole after riding Santa’s sleigh as an orphaned baby. Never able to fit in, adult Buddy travels to New York, New York, in search of his family. Along the way, he infuses a little Christmas cheer into the town and his family, while wearing his elf uniform.

Since Elf released in theaters on November 7, 2003, it has become a must-see holiday movie. Come December 1, it’s often quoted. There are regular shows leading up to Christmas Day and Elf merchandise lining store shelves.

Even the biggest Elf Fans may not be familiar with director Jon Favreau, who snuck into an Easter egg tied to another holiday movie. It all started with Buddy’s work in the department store and the ability to film scenes at Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan.

Macy’s didn’t want to be associated with a fake Santa scene in ‘Elf’

“You sit on a throne of lies” is the oft-quoted phrase Buddy says to a department store Santa (Artie Lange) when he finds out he’s not the Santa Claus he grew up with at the North Pole.

In the memorable scene, Buddy is so upset that this man is an impostor of Santa that he finds himself in a fight with him. The children who showed up to see Santa Claus are horrified.

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In the process, Buddy and the fake Santa Claus destroy the toy department and all the extravagant decorations Buddy made earlier in the movie.

Reflecting on the film’s momentous moment with Rotten Tomatoes in 2019, Favreau explained that they almost filmed the scene at Macy’s. But the department store didn’t feel like playing host to a scene with a fake Santa Claus.

“Initially, we were hoping to shoot at Macy’s. And Macy’s was actually very open to the idea that we were filming there, and even saying that maybe we could be on the show, ”he said. “However, the only stipulation was that we couldn’t tell there was a fake Santa at Macy’s.”

“So it’s part of their brand and people go to their Santaland every year, and they didn’t want to waste it on young children. What I understand, ”he added.

After Macy said no to Elf using their store, Favreau had to return to the drawing board.

Jon Favreau instead had a boyfriend who worked at Gimbels

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With Macy’s absent, Favreau and the rest of the team behind Elf had to find another department store to employ Buddy. After some thought, Favreau moved to another iconic store, Gimbels.

“So we kept thinking about what this could be?” [When] I grew up there, there was always Macy’s and Gimbels, ”he says. “Of course, Gimbels is featured in Miracle on 34th Street, so it’s a bit of an Easter egg for Christmas moviegoers.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Gimbels closed in 1986 after competing with Macy’s for 76 years. The 1994 remake didn’t refer to Gimbels but rather to a fictional store called Cole’s.

Elf fans can step into the holiday season knowing the hilarious, maple syrup filled movie gave a little nod Miracle on 34th Street.