"Smurfs 3" Movie Gets New Release Date

Originally expected to be ready for the summer of 2016, Sony Pictures Animation's in-development third planned animated film in the Smurf movie trilogy now has scheduled release date: March 31, 2017.

Smurfs, the first film was released on December 2, 2011, and stars Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Katy Perry as Smurfette, George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, Gary Basaraba as Hefty Smurf, John Oliver as Vanity Smurf, Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf, Paul Reubens as Jokey Smurf, Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf, Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow, and Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow.

Smurfs 2, the sequel, was released on July 31, 2013, with all the main cast returning along with new cast members including Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove as members of the Naughties, and Brendan Gleeson as Patrick Winslow's stepfather. Both Smurfs and Smurfs 2 have been directed by Raja Gosnell and were seen on the big-screen in 3D live-action/computer-animation.

The upcoming still-untitled "Smurfs 3" movie, according to the studio, will be entirely animated, and will have no connection to the CGI/live-action hybrid films that preceded it in 2011 and 2013. To be directed by Kelly Asbury, the film will explore the origin of Smurfs and will neither be a sequel nor a prequel to the earlier movies, making this installment a complete reboot of the film franchise.

In Asbury's blog, he wrote: "I want nothing more than for this ALL-NEW ANIMATED SMURF MOVIE REBOOT to be the very best ever depiction of the Smurfs since the original Peyo comic books. Since this new film has no connection to the previous live action hybrids, we have a whole new world to create and it is critical to me and my crew that we deliver a movie that will enchant families and fans worldwide for years to come. So when my partners and I here at Sony Pictures Animation realized that rushing towards a summer 2016 release date meant having to launch production on a story that was not fully in the place we wanted it to be yet, we have decided to give ourselves a little more time to not compromise quality and deliver the truly smurftastic movie we all want to see on the big screen. Our new release date, March 31, 2017, is a perfect opportunity to be sprung with the Smurfs in Spring! The Easter date is a perfect match for this particular movie for fans around the world."