*UPDATE* Christina Ricci to voice an evil Smurfette in 'The Smurfs 2'

 *UPDATE* Sony and Columbia Pictures have announced the start of production on The Smurfs 2, and in the process have revealed the entire cast and some added plot details. All of the original cast, including Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Jonathan Winters, and Anton Yelchin will reprise their roles. John Oliver, who voiced the hilarious Vanity Smurf, will see his role expanded considerably. New voices including Christina Ricci and JB Smoove(We Bought A Zoo) as Vexi and Hackus, a pair of evil Smurfs created by Gargamel to help him harnass the powerful Smurf essence. Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and runs off to Paris where his adored as the world's greatest sorcerer.

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Whether any of us like it or not, The Smurfs smurfed their way to more than $560M at the box office. Sequels get green lit for half that number, so it was no surprise that Sony got the ball rolling on The Smurfs 2 mere days after the film's release. With Raja Gosnell returning as director, and most of the cast expected to come back, they've added somebody who has more than a passing familiarity with family friendly movies.

Christina Ricci will voice an evil Smurfette named Vexi in the CGI/live-action hybrid. Katy Perry has previously stated she'll be back as the voice of Smurfette.  In the Smurfs cartoon and comics, Smurfette was a creation of Gargamel(Hank Azaria), who intended her to sew jealousy into the all male Smurf clan. Papa Smurf eventually broke the spell, but Smurfette's past as a villain would come back to haunt her on occasion. Ricci began her career in with movies like The Addams Family and Casper, so this is something of a return for her.  She'll be seen next opposite Robert Pattinson in Bel Ami.

The Smurfs 2 is set to open on July 31st 2013. [THR]