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Will Ferrell in 2003's 'Elf'
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Every Possible Way You Can Watch Elf In 2023

There’s no need to be an angry elf, there are plenty of ways to get your Buddy fix this year.

by Kaitlin Kimont

Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color? If that line is forever firmly fixed in your memory, then watching Elf starring Will Ferrell every Christmas is a time-honored tradition in your home. After all, the movie just marked its 20th (!!) anniversary. But how and where can you watch Elf in 2023? Boil up some spaghetti and break out the chocolate sauce and maple syrup because here’s everything you need to know.

Where can you stream Elf in 2023?

You have a plenty options this holiday season. First, Elf is currently available to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max). Max subscriptions start at $9.99/month with ads and $15.99/month without ads.

Don’t have Max? In 2023, Elf is also available to stream on Hulu. Hulu’s ad-supported plan is slightly cheaper at $7.99/month, while an ad-free plan will cost you $17.99/month.

You can also rent Elf for $3.99 via Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies, Apple TV+, Google Play, and Vudu. See? Streaming options are aplenty this year.

Is Elf airing on TV in 2023?

You betcha! Several channels, including TNT, TBS, and AMC, have scheduled airings for Elf in 2023. Check your local listings via TV Guide for exact date and timings because there are a bunch of them.

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup!”Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

You can also buy a physical copy of Elf.

If you don’t want to deal with ads, signing up for a subscription, or simply don’t have a reliable internet connection, you can also buy a physical DVD or Blu-ray copy of Elf from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, or Target.

Elf celebrated its 20th anniversary in November 2023.

Believe it or not, Elf premiered a whopping two decades ago on Nov. 7, 2003. To celebrate, Krispy Kreme released a special collection of doughnuts and TBS aired a 24-hour marathon of the movie, which also starred Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Jon Favreau, Peter Dinklage, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Asner.

It’s also hard to believe that Ferrell wasn’t actually the studio’s first choice to play Buddy the Elf. “They wanted to make this a Chris Farley movie, which would have been a different movie, a very different movie,” screenwriter David Berenbaum revealed in The Holiday Movies That Made Us on Netflix.

Will Ferrell forces his kids to watch Elf every year, just like the rest of us!

Ferrell, who’s previously compared raising his three sons with wife Viveca Paulin to “running a small correctional facility,” told E! News in 2017 that he firmly insists on an Elf marathon every Christmas. “I think it’s always chaotic. There’s a lot of screaming and yelling and complaining as to when they get to open their presents. And then it’s a mad — I think they each get way too many presents each. We have three boys. And they are opened in 12 minutes. Then, [sarcastically] yeah I force them to watch Elf, 10 times,” he joked at the time. “Ten straight times. It’s a marathon, yeah. And then you get to open a present.”

Listen, if you celebrated Christmas any other way, you’d be a cotton-headed ninny muggins.