Paramount Delays Upcoming Smurfs Movie for Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The Untitled Smurfs Animated Musical has its release date pushed back to make room for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on the Paramount Pictures calendar. Paramount made some changes to its release schedule, announcing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will debut on December 20, 2024. While that was music to the ears of Sonic fans, the dedicated Smurf stans are now forced to wait until 2025 for the musical to arrive in theaters. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 took the date previously held by the Smurfs musical, leaving the latter to settle for the date of February 14, 2025.

The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie focused almost entirely on the titular Sonic character, voiced in the franchise by Ben Schwartz. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 introduced other iconic characters from the beloved Sega video game saga, including Tails and Knuckles.

LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors of The Smurfs, previously licensed the brand to Sony Pictures, which resulted in 2011’s The Smurfs, 2013’s The Smurfs 2, and 2017’s Smurfs: The Lost Village. Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation will now develop new projects for the Smurfs franchise, including a 26-episode Season 2 of CG-animated series The Smurfs to air on Nickelodeon.  

“Nickelodeon is the home to some of the world’s most popular family franchises, and we’re honored to add The Smurfs to that roster,” said Ramsey Naito, President of Animation for Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. “We’re excited to tell a story that stays true to its origins, but with a Smurf-tastic musical twist that excites new audiences and builds on the Smurfs franchise and universe of wonderful characters and stories.”

“It is with great joy and pride that I welcome this new Smurfs film! I am truly excited with this wonderful partnership with the talented, creative and dynamic teams at Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Animation, and IMPS,” said Véronique Culliford, founder and president of LAFIG and IMPS. “I am convinced that this great collaboration will allow families around the world to immerse themselves in this unique universe of humor and extraordinary adventures. I have no doubt that my father, creator of these marvelous world-famous characters, would also be delighted with this continuation of his work. I look so forward to seeing audiences gather together in the near future to enjoy this new adventure of our beloved Smurfs!”

The Untitled Smurfs Animated Musical is set for a February 14, 2025 release date.