The Smurfs (originally called Les Schtroumpfs) are a popular fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live in Smurf Village somewhere in the woods. The Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced Smurfs to the world in a series of comic strips, making their first appearance in the Belgian comics magazine Le Journal de Spirou on October 23, 1958. The English-speaking world perhaps knows them best through the popular 1980s animated television series from Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Smurfs. The cartoon had a successful run for nine seasons on NBC Saturday morning cartoons between 1981-1990. Now the Smurfs is coming to theaters.
Raja Gosnell has been tapped to direct Sony’s live-action/animated “Smurfs.” The film will be released in 3-D and 2-D formats on Dec. 17, 2010.
The original term “schtroumpf” and the accompanying language came during a meal Peyo was having with his colleague and friend André Franquin in which, having momentarily forgotten the word “salt” Peyo asked him (in French) to “pass the schtroumpf”. Franquin replied: “Here’s the Schtroumpf — when you are done schtroumpfing, schtroumpf it back” and the two spent the rest of the week-end speaking in schtroumpf language. The name was later translated as “smurf” into English.
“Smurfs” will be produced by Jordan Kerner (“Charlotte’s Web”). J. David Stem and David N. Weiss (the second and third “Shrek” pics) and Audrey Wells (“George of the Jungle”) penned the script. Sony announced in June 2008 that it had launched the “Smurfs” movie project after obtaining film rights to the blue-colored characters from Lafig Belgium via Kerner and signing Stem and Weiss to write the screenplay. Kerner secured film rights to the Smurfs property in 2002.“Smurfs” marks Sony Pictures Animation’s first hybrid film.
