The latest comeback of The Smurfs is going to be a little longer in coming, thanks to another blue animated character stealing the planned release date of their next as-yet-untitled musical movie. Paramount Studios announced yesterday that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will spin into theaters on December 20, 2024, to go head to head with the blue-skinned characters of Avatar 3, and this means that the Smurfs will have to now wait until February 2025 for their chance to shine again.
The pre-Christmas release date has been coveted by some big movies over the years, from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, to the Harry Potter franchise and last year, Spider-Man: No Way Home. This December, Avatar 2 is looking to claim the box office crown as James Cameron’s epic sci-fi fantasy franchise returns to cinemas after more than a decade, with subsequent sequels looking to follow in the coming years. With Avatar 3 due to arrive in December 2024, it is possible that Paramount has more faith in the well-established Sonic franchise being able to hold its own against the might of Cameron’s saga than the return of the Smurfs.
Having been around for decades, The Smurfs were licensed out to Sony Pictures a decade ago, which led to the little blue characters making a leap into a live-action/animation hybrid series of movies that began with The Smurfs in 2011 and continued through The Smurfs 2 and Smurfs: The Lost Village which marked their last movie appearance in 2017. With the rights having now moved to Paramount, the studio announced last year that they have several plans to reinvigorate the franchise with new movies and a continuation of the CG-animated show on Nickelodeon.
The Smurfs Musical Movie Added Chris Miller As Director
Back in June, it was announced that Puss In Boots helmer Chris Miller would be directing the new outing for the Smurfs, which is being scripted by South Park writer Pam Brady. There is currently no information on what the plot will entail, but the film will be the first in a long line of new Smurf projects coming from Paramount.
The Smurfs returned to the small screen in 2021 with a new CG-animated series simply called The Smurfs, and while their last movie didn’t quite hit the mark with critics, the Nickelodeon series was a big enough hit to ensure that the plans for a Smurf universe remained on track and future plans include a second 26 episode season of the show, as well as a range of video games and other tie-in products.
While The Smurfs have been a pop culture feature for decades, their on-screen appearances have never been more abundant than the wave of movies and shows coming in the next few years. The popularity of The Smurfs is one of those things that has never really gone away and having been given toy lines and other merchandising that have kept them fresh and relevant while they awaited their time in the sun again. The untitled Smurfs Musical movie is set for a February 14, 2025 release date.