It was announced back in June that Sony Pictures Animation was given an overhaul from filmmaking arm to production house, complete with a new slate of film projects dated up to 2018. The first film to come from under the newly-revamped studio will be Smurfs: The Lost Village, a fully-animated reboot of Sony’s Smurfs film franchise that promises to take Peyo’s original creations and update them for 2017.
There’s going to be a lot riding on this movie, as Lost Village will be the first real test of whether or not a new Sony Pictures Animation can keep up with a rapidly-expanding field of players in the feature animation world. Which is probably why they are jump-starting their marketing campaign today with a new teaser poster (which you can see below) and the confirmation that the first trailer will land on the interwebs tomorrow!
As reported previously, Smurfs: The Lost Village will serve as an origin story for the titular characters, revealing how the Smurf village came to be and where the Smurfs really come from.
The official synopsis below reads as follows:
In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!
Smurfs: The Lost Village is directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay by Stacy Harmon and Pamela Ribon, based on the characters created by Peyo. The cast features the voice talents of Demi Lovato (Smurfette), Rainn Wilson (Gargamel), Joe Maganiello (Hefty), Jack McBrayer (Clumsy), Danny Pudi (Brainy), and Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf.
Smurfs: The Lost Village arrives in theaters on April 7, 2017.
Stick around tomorrow for the trailer as well as new info from an interview with director Kelly Asbury!