Despite the fact that Will Ferrell is alive and able to speak, Jim Parsons will be voicing Buddy in NBC’s animated special, Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Big Bang Theory star will take on the lead role in a “retelling” of Ferrell’s 2003 holiday comedy, in which Buddy the Elf travels to New York City to meet the human father he didn’t know he had. In other words, it’s an Elf revamp the world didn’t know it needed and, arguably, doesn’t. That’s the spirit of Christmas.
Parsons was presumably selected for his musical theater background. The special will cram a whopping nine songs from the Broadway musical version of Elf into its hour-long runtime. Rounding out the voice cast are Mark Hamill, Ed Asner, Fred Armisen, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Gilbert Gottfried, Kate Micucci, Rachael MacFarlane, Max Charles, and Steve Higgins. The special is set to air December 16, but a preview of the perkiness to come is already available thanks to the Broadway show.