On the one hand it's a little surprising that Sony Pictures Animation is going in a completely different direction with their Smurfs franchise. The first two live-action/CGI adaptations of the beloved Saturday morning cartoon earned over $900M combined, which is pretty extraordinary. But then you realize that The Smurfs 2 did considerably worse, like more than $200M worse, and that's the reason for the change in approach. The third film, titled Smurfs: The Lost Village, is fully animated with a whole new batch of celebrity voices for the little blue mischief makers.
The first trailer and poster for the film has been released and it sends Smurfette, now voiced by Demi Lovato, off on a journey to discover her place among the Smurfs. And this teaser is really just a playful re-introduction with the Smurfs breaking the 4th wall while a kiddie version of Ludacris' "Get Back" plays in the background, because if anything goes together it's the Smurfs and Luda. Joe Manganiello is voicing Hefty Smurf (obviously), Jack McBrayer is Clumsy, Danny Pudi is Brainy, Mandy Patinkin is Papa Smurf, and Rainn Wilson is the evil Gargamel. Here's the synopsis:
It seems to Smurfette that everyone else in the Village has a purpose — Papa Smurf (leading), Baker Smurf (baking), even Grouchy Smurf (grouching) — except for her. So what’s the only girl in the village to do? Go in search of hers, of course! When she accidentally crosses paths with a mysterious creature that takes off into the Enchanted Forest, she follows, and sets off into the uncharted and strictly forbidden woods. Joined by her brothers Brainy, Hefty and Clumsy — and with the evil wizard Gargamel shadowing their every step — Team Smurf undertakes a wild journey full of action, danger and discovery, setting them on a course that leads to the biggest mystery in Smurf history!
Directed by Shrek 2's Kelly Asbury, Smurfs: The Lost Village opens March 31st 2017.
