Beloved Christmas film 'Elf' celebrates its 20th anniversary this holiday season with theatrical return
The Empire State Building is spreading Christmas cheer with its own Elf-themed takeover
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Will Ferrell's Christmas comedy, "Elf" is marking its 20th anniversary this year, in which his character Buddy travels to the Big Apple to find his real father and spread Christmas cheer to New Yorkers.
Known for its cultural impact and memorable movie lines, the film is returning to some theaters this holiday season after its original release on November 7, 2003.
The Empire State Building lit up green and yellow on November 7 to celebrate the anniversary and its lobby window displays have also received an Elf-themed takeover.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To further commemorate the film's anniversary, the iconic New York landmark has special showings lined up on its 80th-floor observatory, complete with offerings of the four main food groups: "candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."
Attendees will need to cough up $135 per ticket to attend the Empire State Building's five special showings of the holiday classic. Included in the bundle is access to the observatory, the museum and holiday snacks and drinks.
"You better get your tickets fast because those five showings start on Sunday, and they're almost sold out," according to FOX News's Lauren Green.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ferrell was fresh off his seven-year stint on "Saturday Night Live" when he played Buddy the Elf. (Warner Brothers/ Getty Images)
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"Elf" is one of the highest grossing Christmas films, costing about $33 million to make and grossing over $225 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
Todd Komarnicki, the film's producer, told Lauren Green his team knew the film was special, but didn't know it would become a Christmas classic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's humbling because you work equally hard on everything you ever do, and you never think somebody's going to stick in the culture like this. And now to see these lines of people from all over the world and the joy on their face, they're bringing with them the experience they had from this little movie that we made 20 years ago."
In ‘Elf,’ his innocence, his purity actually changes New York, and I believe that's true in life. And I actually believe that's the message of Christmas," he continued.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Komarnicki spoke with Green about the various actors who starred in the film, like the late James Caan, who all represent a different kind of era of movie-making.
"They all brought something interesting to the film, and they just had some wonderful backstories… like they had to chew all that gum that, you know, Will Ferrell eats off the entrance to the subway," said Green. "He says his jaw is still tired from chewing about 80 pieces of gum."
Fox News Digital's Brittany Kasko contributed to this report.