Elf Unwrapped Reveals Film's Asylum Set

A new book by Elf costar Andy Richter examines the behind-the-scenes production of the holiday comedy.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Comedy

Flat-color holiday poster illustration in red and green with a centered wrapped gift box, ribbon, and halftone sunburst behind it. — Andy Richter, an Elf costar, co-wrote a new book revealing that interior scenes for the 2003 holiday comedy were shot at an abandoned mental institution. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Andy Richter, an Elf costar, co-wrote Elf Unwrapped: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Christmas Classic, a book about the 2003 holiday film. Much of the movie's interior filming took place at an abandoned mental institution.

Why it matters

The filming location reflects how Elf was produced on a $33 million budget, with cost savings and studio space limits shaping where scenes were shot. The book offers readers a closer look at how a modern holiday comedy came together.

Elf was made on a $33 million production budget, a figure drawn from the film's production records as reported in the extraction. The extraction does not provide box office or streaming viewership comparisons.

The players

Andy Richter

Andy Richter is an American comedian and actor who appeared in Elf and co-wrote the behind-the-scenes book about the film.

Netflix

Netflix is a global streaming service that produces and distributes original content, including the docuseries The Christmas Movies That Made Us.

The details

Interior scenes for Elf were shot at an abandoned mental institution, where the production design team converted rooms into the Gimbels department store, Greenway Press, and the Hobbs' apartment. Portions of the site were still occupied by patients during filming.

2020: Elf was featured on an episode of the Netflix docuseries The Christmas Movies That Made Us.
November 5, 2026: Elf Unwrapped became available at bookstores.

Legacy Watch

Netflix's The Christmas Movies That Made Us, which featured Elf in a 2020 episode, reflects a growing streaming focus on revisiting holiday films. The new book extends that retrospective attention to a deeper account of the film's production.

Elf Unwrapped is available at bookstores now for readers interested in the film's production history. Elf can be streamed on HBO Max with a subscription.

The takeaway

Elf's production shows how budget limits and studio scheduling can push a film into unexpected locations. Readers curious about how holiday classics were made can start with the book's behind-the-scenes account.