The Smurfs Musical Movie Announced as Smurfs Shift to Paramount and Nickelodeon

The Smurfs are leaving the village for Paramount under a new deal that includes multiple animated movies and a second season of animated series The Smurfs on Nickelodeon. Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation announced the creative partnership with The Smurfs worldwide licensors LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, who previously licensed the brand to Sony Pictures. The pact sees The Smurfs star in a new animated musical film produced by the four labels, set to open in theaters on December 20, 2024, and 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."

Longtime South Park producer and writer Pam Brady (Team America, Hot Rod) will script the first movie set to begin production this year. 

"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 blue creatures created by Belgian comics artist Peyo most recently starred in two hybrid live-action/animated feature films from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, 2011's The Smurfs and 2013's The Smurfs 2, before returning in the fully animated reboot Smurfs: The Lost Village in 2017. 

Last year, Peyo Productions and Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel's The Smurfs animated series premiered on Belgium's La Trois and Ketnet channels and on Nickelodeon in the U.S. 

Added Latifa Ouaou, executive VP of movies and global franchises at Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, "The Smurfs is an iconic and beloved franchise, and we can't wait introduce it to a whole new generation of fans by bringing a fresh cinematic perspective to the Smurfs franchise with this all-new story on the big screen." 

Paramount Animation, behind 2015's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and 2021's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, previously announced an animated Transformers movie and the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Chapter from Nickelodeon Movies.