Jim Parsons to play Buddy in animated 'Elf' Christmas special

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Four-time Emmy Award-winning actor Jim Parsons is to lend his voice to the title character in Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas, an hourlong stop-motion animated holiday special, NBC announced.

Based on the 2003 live-action film Elf and Broadway hit Elf: The Musical, the program is to air Dec. 16.

"The special is an all-new retelling of Buddy's delightfully absurd yet heartwarming story and blends the look and feel of the stop-motion animated Christmas specials of the past with the sharp sensibility of the modern-day classic holiday film," the network said in a news release Friday. "Santa narrates the story of Buddy's travels to New York City to meet the father he never knew he had. Along the way his unrelenting cheer transforms the lives of everyone he meets and opens his father's eyes to the magic of Christmas."

The voice cast also includes Mark Hamill, Ed Asner, Fred Armisen, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Gilbert Gottfried, Kate Micucci, Rachael MacFarlane, Max Charles and Steve Higgins.

Asner played Santa Claus in the film, which featured Will Ferrell in the role of Buddy.