smurfs movie Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The retro revivals just keep coming. Variety reports that Columbia Pictures and Sony Animation are bringing The Smurfs to the big screen. David Stem and David Weiss, the authors behind the last two installments of Shrek, are in talks to pen the screenplay. No word yet on director, release date, or plot outline.

A Smurfs movie has actually been in the works since 2002 at Paramount/Nickelodeon (we first reported on it back in 2005), but producer Jordan Kerner has brought the rights over to Sony. The original plan was to make it a 3-D CGI feature which, frankly, sounds terrifying to me. Sony Animation plans to make it a combination of live action and CGI, like Alvin and the Chipmunks. I'm unsettled by the idea of seeing them in CGI, as I think their charm primarily comes from their classic animation. Chipmunks can be (relatively) cute in CGI, but Smurfs?

A while back we heard word that a group of enthusiastic filmmakers were finally getting down to work on a feature-length CG-animated Smurfs movie. Well, it sure looks like some ample progress has been made on the Paramount / Nickelodeon project. The flick is penciled in for a late-2008 release, and now we've received our very first look at some production artwork!

ComingSoon.net has collected all the smurfy goodies into one handy page, so click right here to take a look at some new stills and a brief video clip. The Smurfs is being directed by Colin Brady, and since he has credits on titles like E.T., Toy Story 2, and Hulk, I'm feeling a little more optimistic about this movie. I'm not exactly a huge fan of Peyo's little blue buggers, but they do seem like a perfect fit for a family flick. Here's hoping the movie holds up under fanboy (and fangirl) scrutiny.

Frankly, I've no freaking idea how it took so long to happen, but it looks like a big swanky movie version of The Smurfs is scheduled to hit the silver screen within the next few years. I realize this is the sort of project that may make you roll your eyes and deliver a derisive snort from not one but both nostrils, but producer Jordan Kerner recently shared some insights and ideas with Moviehole.com ... and the guy does have some pretty cool concepts for the inevitably Smurfy blockbuster. Among the things promised by Mr. Kerner:

• The Paramount production will be done in 3-D style CGI, not at all unlike those Shrek flicks.
• The plan is to do a full trilogy, one that fills in all the "holes" of the TV series.
• The folks who presently run the little blue juggernaut originally created by the late Peyo -- "loved" the ideas that Kerner & Co. came up with. And since the guy was pursuing the movie rights for about half a decade, I guess one could take that reaction as a good sign. (Or at least a potentially profitable one.)
• The producer wants the Smurfs trilogy to feel like a lighter and goofier version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy: Epic and adventure-packed, but still sweet and silly.
• Regarding the nefarious Gargamel, we're promised a lot of backstory on the villain ... plus it seems that the fantastic John Lithgow is being considered for the role.

So there's what we have so far. As a guy who grew up during the crest of the Smurfenomena, I'm quite familiar with these little blue buggers -- even if I'm not exactly what you'd call a Smurficionado. But I'll be honest: My opinion of this burgeoning movie project has gone up just a little bit since hearing what Kerner's approach may be.

But then the guy had to go and kinda ruin it by promising the world a movie called The Mighty Ducks 4.