The Smurfs in film
The Smurfs have appeared in five feature-length films and two short films loosely based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. They theatrically debuted in a 1965 animated feature film that was followed by a 1976 animated film titled The Smurfs and the Magic Flute. Twenty-eight to thirty years after The Magic Flute was released in the United States, a 2011 feature film and a 2013 sequel were produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Columbia Pictures. Live-action roles include Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jayma Mays, while the voice-over roles include Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, and George Lopez. A fully animated reboot titled Smurfs: The Lost Village was released through Sony in April 2017.
| The Smurfs | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Peyo |
| Original work | The Smurfs |
| Owner | Belvision Studios (The Magic Flute) Sony Pictures Animation (The Smurfs, The Smurfs 2, The Lost Village) Paramount Pictures (upcoming untitled Smurfs animated musical film) |
| Years | 1976 (Belevision Studios) 2011–2017 (Sony Pictures Animation) 2022–present (Paramount Pictures) |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Short film(s) | |
Films
Films produced in Franco-Belgium
Les Aventures des Schtroumpfs (1965)
The film consists of five black-and-white shorts made in the previous years for broadcasting on Walloon TV: Smurfnapped: A Smurf gets himself captured by Gargamel. Now, the rest of the Smurfs must save him before he gets killed.; The Smurfs and the Magic Egg: The Smurfs discover a magic egg. But they don't know it has been created by Gargamel.; The Black Smurfs: A contagious disease terrorizes the village.; The Smurfs and the Dragon: The Smurfs befriend a domesticated dragon.; The Flying Smurf: One of the Smurfs attempt to fly like a bird.
The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1976)
This story is set at a castle during the Middle Ages. One day a merchant brings musical instruments to sell to Peewit, the court jester, but because Peewit is such a terrible musician the King throws the merchant out before Peewit arrives. However, he has left behind a flute that only has six holes. The King throws it into the fireplace in his room, which starts to emit green smoke. When the fire is put out, Peewit retrieves the flute from the ashes unharmed. He cleans it and starts playing it for the whole castle realizing that it causes everyone to dance when it is played.
That night a man named Matthew McCreep learns from the merchant that the same flute he had been looking for is at the castle. He heads over to the castle and steals the flute from Peewit. The king sends Peewit and the young knight Johan out to catch McCreep who uses the flute to rob people of their money. However, McCreep uses the flute to stop them. Johan and Peewit then go to the house of Homnibus the wizard. Using a spell called Hypnokinesis, the wizard sends Johan and Peewit to Smurfland where the magic flute was built.
Upon arriving they meet a smurf who leads them to the village. Papa Smurf greets the two of them and tells them that they'll make a new flute in order to counter McCreep's flute. The smurfs head into the forest and chop down a huge tree to get wood from the tree trunk's very center as only this kind of wood can be useful in crafting a magical flute. Afterward, they celebrate with a party. However, just as Papa Smurf is about to give the flute to Johan and Peewit, the two are warped back to the wizard's house. Homnibus tries the spell again but passes out from a headache.
Meanwhile, McCreep, who has now stolen over 7,000 gold pieces, arrives at the castle of his secret partner, Earl Flatbroke. McCreep tells Flatbroke of his plan to go to an island to hire people for an army to raise war on the King's castle; fortunately, two Smurfs had been listening to this. Back at the wizard's house, the Smurfs regroup with Johan and Peewit and give them the magic flute. Then they head to the port of Terminac where McCreep sets sail for the island. However, they are too late. Papa Smurf tells Johan and Peewit about Flatbroke's castle and Johan comes up with a plan.
Flatbroke receives a letter from McCreep (written by Johan) to come to the island. He heads over to Terminac to board a ship where Johan and Peewit are also on board in disguise as well as Papa Smurf and 3 others. They head to the island where Johan and Peewit tail Flatbroke. Suddenly Peewit comes face to face with McCreep and they both start playing their flutes to each other. They both become exhausted soon after, but Peewit knocks out McCreep with a final note.
With McCreep and Flatbroke being brought back to the castle and all the stolen money recovered, Peewit now has two magic flutes. Johan tells him that the flutes are dangerous and must be brought back to the Smurfs, but Peewit begins to carve a phony flute to give to them instead. At the castle, Johan and Peewit give the flutes back to the smurfs, and after they leave, Peewit starts playing the flute, only to realize (to his horror) that it has no effect on the townsfolk; it is the fake flute he had made!
Films produced in America
Sony Pictures Animation films (2011–2017)
The Smurfs (2011)
The Smurfs is a 2011 live-action/computer-animated comedy film and the first CGI film in the series and was directed by Raja Gosnell. In their race to escape the malevolent wizard Gargamel, the little blue forest dwellers find themselves suddenly transported to Central Park. Now stuck in a world populated by towering giants, the Smurfs must find a way to elude Gargamel and find a way back to the village they call home.
The Smurfs 2 (2013)
A sequel titled The Smurfs 2 was released on July 31, 2013.[1] Director Raja Gosnell and producer Jordan Kerner returned, along with all of the main cast. New cast members include Christina Ricci, J. B. Smoove and Brendan Gleeson. In the sequel, Gargamel creates a couple of evil Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties to harness the magical Smurf-essence. When he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants and that only Smurfette can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps her and takes her to Paris. Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity return to the human world and seek the help of their friends Patrick and Grace Winslow to rescue Smurfette from Gargamel. It was Jonathan Winters' final film after his death on April 11, 2013.[2]
Cancelled third live-action/animated film
By May 10, 2012, just two weeks after production of The Smurfs 2 was announced, Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures had already been developing a script for The Smurfs 3, with writers Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche.[3] Hank Azaria, who played the live-action Gargamel, said that the third film "might actually deal with the genuine origin of how all these characters ran into each other way back when."[4] In March 2014, Sony announced that, instead of a third live action film, it would be rebooting the series with a completely computer-animated film.[5]
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)
Smurfs: The Lost Village is a 2017 American 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and The Kerner Entertainment Company for Columbia Pictures. Kelly Asbury was hired to direct the animated film.[5] Exploring the origins of Smurfs, the comedy-adventure features a new take on the characters, with designs and environments more closely following the artwork created by Peyo.[5] The film was initially set to be released on August 14, 2015,[6] but in May 2014, the film's release date was pushed back to August 5, 2016.[7] In January 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Mandy Patinkin was in final negotiations to voice Papa Smurf in the film.[8] Two months later, the release date had been pushed back to March 31, 2017, in order to work on "a story that was not fully in the place," and take advantage of the Easter weekend.[9] On June 14, 2015, Sony Pictures Animation revealed Get Smurfy as title of the film. In addition to Patinkin, Demi Lovato was cast as Smurfette, and Rainn Wilson as Gargamel.[10] The film was ultimately released on April 7, 2017, to mixed reviews, but was seen by both critics and audiences as an improvement over the live action films.
Short films
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol
A television special, titled The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released on DVD on December 2, 2011, attached to The Smurfs.[11]
The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow
The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow is a 22-minute animated Halloween television special, based on the Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.[12] It premiered on June 11, 2013, at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival,[13][14] and was released on DVD on September 10, 2013,[15] followed by a TV premiere in October.[16] It was directed by Stephan Franck,[14] and it features the voices of Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Anton Yelchin and Hank Azaria.[12] Like the first special, The Legend of Smurfy Hollow combines computer-generated animation and traditionally hand-drawn animation,[13] with the latter provided by Duck Studios.[17][18]
Paramount Pictures films
Untitled Smurfs animated film
On February 7, 2022, it was reported that LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the owners of the Smurfs brand, had agreed to a partnership with Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies to produce multiple The Smurfs movies.[19] On April 27, 2023 at CinemaCon, it was announced that Barbadian singer Rihanna would be voicing Smurfette, as well as producing the film along with writing and recording original songs for the movie.[20]
Cast and characters
| Characters | Theatrical films | Short films | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Aventures des Schtroumpfs | The Smurfs and the Magic Flute | The Smurfs | The Smurfs 2 | Smurfs: The Lost Village | Untitled Smurfs musical animated film | The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol | The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow | ||
| 1965 | 1976 | 2011 | 2013 | 2017 | 2025 | 2011 | 2013 | ||
| Smurfs | |||||||||
| Smurfette | Katy Perry | Demi Lovato | Rihanna | Melissa Sturm | |||||
| Papa Smurf | — | Bill Capizzi | Jonathan Winters | Mandy Patinkin | TBA | Jack Angel | |||
| Brainy Smurf | Robert Axelrod | Fred Armisen | Danny Pudi | Fred Armisen | |||||
| Clumsy Smurf | — | Anton Yelchin | Jack McBrayer | Anton Yelchin | |||||
| Grouchy Smurf | George Lopez | Jake Johnson | George Lopez | ||||||
| Handy Smurf | Jeff Foxworthy | Bret Marnell | |||||||
| Jokey Smurf | Paul Reubens | Gabriel Iglesias | |||||||
| Hefty Smurf | — | Michael Sorich | Gary Basaraba | Joe Manganiello | Gary Basaraba | ||||
| Vanity Smurf | — | John Oliver | Tituss Burgess | John Oliver | |||||
| Greedy Smurf | Kenan Thompson | — | |||||||
| Baker Smurf | B. J. Novak | Gordon Ramsay | |||||||
| Farmer Smurf | Joel McCrary | Jeff Dunham | |||||||
| Chef Smurf | Wolfgang Puck | ||||||||
| Gutsy Smurf | Alan Cumming | Alan Cumming | |||||||
| Narrator Smurf | Tom Kane | Tom Kane | |||||||
| Vexy | Christina Ricci | Silent cameo | |||||||
| Hackus | J. B. Smoove | ||||||||
| Social Smurf | Mario Lopez | ||||||||
| Passive Aggressive Smurf | Jimmy Kimmel | ||||||||
| Smooth Smurf | Shaquille O'Neal | ||||||||
| Clueless Smurf | Shaun White | — | |||||||
| Panicky Smurf | Silent cameo | Adam Wylie | Silent cameo | Adam Wylie | |||||
| Party Planner Smurf | Kevin Lee | ||||||||
| Smurf Blossom | Ellie Kemper | ||||||||
| Smurf Storm | Michelle Rodriguez | ||||||||
| Smurf Willow | Julia Roberts | ||||||||
| Nosey Smurf | Kelly Asbury | ||||||||
| Humans | |||||||||
| Gargamel | — | Hank Azaria | Rainn Wilson | TBA | Hank Azaria | ||||
| Sir Johan | Cam Clarke | ||||||||
| Peewit | Grant Gottschall | ||||||||
| Matthew McCreep | Mike Reynolds | ||||||||
| Patrick Winslow | Neil Patrick Harris | ||||||||
| Grace Winslow | Jayma Mays | ||||||||
| Odile Anjelou | Sofía Vergara | Sofía Vergara (deleted scene) | |||||||
| Henri | Tim Gunn | ||||||||
| Blue Winslow | Nicholas Martorell, Jr. (photograph) | Jacob Tremblay | |||||||
| Victor Doyle | Brendan Gleeson | ||||||||
| Animals | |||||||||
| Azrael | — | Frank Welker | TBA | Frank Welker | |||||
| Snappy Bug | Bret Marnell | ||||||||
| Monty | Dee Bradley Baker | ||||||||
- A gray cell indicates the character did not appear in that medium.
Crew
| Film | Year | Director(s) | Producer(s) | Writer(s) | Cinematographer | Composer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Aventures des Schtroumpfs | 1965 | Eddy Ryssack Maurice Rosy | Charles Dupuis | Yvan Delporte Peyo André Franquin | Raoul Cauvin Norbert Declercq | Roland Renerte | — |
| The Smurfs and the Magic Flute | 1976 | José Detillieu | Peyo Yvan Delporte | — | Michel Legrand | Nibela Ben Mihad Michèle Neny | |
| The Smurfs | 2011 | Raja Gosnell | Jordan Kerner | David N. Weiss J. David Stem David Ronn Jay Scherick | Phil Meheux | Heitor Pereira | Sabrina Plisco |
| The Smurfs 2 | 2013 | J. David Stem David N. Weiss David Ronn Jay Scherick Karey Kirkpatrick | |||||
| Smurfs: The Lost Village | 2017 | Kelly Asbury | Jordan Kerner Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews | Pamela Ribon Stacey Harman | — | Christopher Lennertz | Bret Marnell |
Reception
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Budget (millions) | Ref(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America | All time worldwide | ||||
| Les Aventures des Schtroumpfs | 1965 | |||||||
| The Smurfs and the Magic Flute | 25 November 1983 | $11,234,220 | $7,765,780 | $19,000,000 | #4,345 | [21] | ||
| The Smurfs | July 29, 2011 | $142,614,158 | $421,135,165 | $563,749,323 | #360 | #145 | $110 | [22] |
| The Smurfs 2 | July 31, 2013 | $71,017,784 | $276,416,394 | $347,434,178 | #1,059 | #332 | $105 | [23] |
| Smurfs: The Lost Village | April 7, 2017 | $45,020,282 | $152,163,264 | $197,183,546 | #1,770 | $60 | [24] | |
| Total | $269,886,444 | $857,480,603 | $1,127,367,047 | $275 | [25] | |||
List indicator(s)
| ||||||||
Critical and public response
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore[26] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les Aventures des Schtroumpfs | — | — | — |
| The Smurfs and the Magic Flute | — | — | — |
| The Smurfs | 21% (117 reviews)[27] | 30 (22 reviews)[28] | A- |
| The Smurfs 2 | 14% (94 reviews)[29] | 34 (30 reviews)[30] | A- |
| Smurfs: The Lost Village | 40% (97 reviews)[31] | 40 (25 reviews)[32] | A |
References
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 29, 2012). "New Release Dates for THE SMURFS 2, THE SAMARITAN and the Farrelly/Wessler Star-Packed Comedy Anthology". Collider.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ "Production Begins on The Smurfs 2". ComingSoon.net. April 26, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (April 26, 2012). "Sony already smurfing Smurfs 3". Variety. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ Nemiroff, Perri (July 14, 2013). "Exclusive: The Smurfs 3 Will Include an Origin Story". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ a b c Sony Pictures Animation (March 12, 2014). "Sony Pictures Animation Unveils Updated Production Slate" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (October 5, 2013). "FAULT IN OUR STARS Set for June 6, 2014; THE MAZE RUNNER Pushed to September 19, 2014; SMURFS 3 and THE BOOK THIEF Moved". Collider.com. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ "A Sony Switcheroo: 'Smurfs' Reboot Pushed To 2016, 'Goosebumps' Moved Up To Summer 2015". Deadline.com. 2014-05-01. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (January 16, 2015). "'Homeland' Star to Voice Papa Smurf in Animated Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ Paxton-Gillilan, Rachel (March 26, 2015). "Smurfs Reboot Pushed to March 2017". IGN. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ Lowe, Kinsey (June 14, 2015). "'Get Smurfy' Unveiled: Demi Lovato Joins As Smurfette, Rainn Wilson As Gargamel". Deadline. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ Katz, Josh (September 21, 2011). "The Smurfs Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Bowles, Scott (August 4, 2013). "Smurfs to get DVD 'mini-movie' next month". USA Today. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ a b Hill, Jim (April 17, 2013). "Sony Pictures Animation: Reinventing How Toons Are Made". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
- ^ a b "The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow". Annecy. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "The World's Most Beloved Little Blue Creatures Will Embark on a New Spooky Adventure this Fall..." PRNewswire. August 6, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ Beck, Jerry (August 5, 2013). "Sony Pictures Animation Announces Hand-Drawn Smurfs Mini-Movie". Animation Scoop. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ "Darlie Brewster". Linkedin. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ "Mary Ellen Bauder". LinkedIn. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 7, 2022). "Smurfs Heads To Nickelodeon & Paramount Animation In New Multi-Pic Deal; Pam Brady Writing New Movie; Series Picked Up For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (27 April 2023). "Rihanna Is Smurfette in Paramount Animation's 'The Smurfs Movie'". Variety. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1983) - Box Office Mojo".
- ^ "The Smurfs (2011)". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "The Smurfs 2 (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ "Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ . Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "The Smurfs". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "The Smurfs Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ "The Smurfs 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "The Smurfs 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ "Smurfs: The Lost Village". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Smurfs: The Lost Village". Metacritic.
External links
- Official website