The Smurfs (2023 film)

The Smurfs is a 2023 American 3D live-action/computer-animated that will be a live-action/CGI remake of Disney's 2016 film of the same name, based on the comic series of the same name created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo, directed by Jeff Fowler, for a screenplay by and Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Jared Bush, Phil Johnston, Matthew Fogel, for a story by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, and produced by Clark Spencer, Neal H. Mortiz, Brian Henson, Barry Sonnenfeld, Justin Lin, Toby Ascher. The film stars Chris Pratt, James Marsden, Anya Taylor-Joy, Tika Sumpter, Reese Witherspoon, Eric André, Rihanna, Josh Gad, Adam Pally, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Charlize Theron, Keegan-Michael Key, John Cena, Idris Elba, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, Jake Lacy, Shemar Moore, Natasha Rothwell, Rhea Perlman, Neal McDonough, and Jim Carrey, with the voices of Dustin Hoffman, Amy Adams, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Ben Schwartz and Seth Rogen. It is the first Walt Disney Animation Studios film to blend computer animation with live-action photography.

The Smurfs will be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on December 22, 2023.

Live-Action Cast

 * Jim Carrey as Gargamel
 * Chris Pratt as Alex Winslow
 * Anya Taylor-Joy as Katie Mitchell
 * James Marsden as Buster Moon
 * Tika Sumpter as Maddie Winslow
 * Reese Witherspoon
 * Eric André
 * Rihanna
 * Taron Egerton
 * Tori Kelly
 * Keegan-Michael Key

Voice Cast

 * Dustin Hoffman as Papa Smurf
 * Amy Adams as Smurfette
 * Charlie Day as Clumsy Smurf
 * Jack Black as Grouchy Smurf
 * Ben Schwartz as Brainy Smurf
 * Seth Rogen as Gutsy Smurf

Development
In August 2021, Director Jeff Fowler, who previously directed Sonic The Hedgehog 2, want to make a live-action of The Smurfs movie. In February 2022, it was announced that a live-action remake of The Smurfs was in development by Walt Disney Pictures. It would be produced by Neal H. Mortiz by his Original Film banner alongside Brian Henson, and Toby Ascher. Blur Studio's Tim Miller and were hired in mid June 2022 to develop it. Justin Lin and Barry Sonnenfeld would serves as producer.

Casting
In April 2022, it revealed that the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Hotel Transylvania: Escape 2 Internet and Sonic the Hedgehog was announced that confirmed for the live-action remake. Jim Carrey confirmed to play Gargamel in live-action after doing the sequel of Sonic the Hedgehog. On April 8, 2022, It was confirmed that Chris Pratt and Anya Taylor-Joy joined the cast as Alex Winslow (portrayed Nick Wilde and Alex the Lion) and Katie Mitchell (portrayed Judy Hopps and Mavis). Later that day, Reese Witherspoon was cast as Rosita (she reprised her role in 2016 animated) and Keegan-Michael Key was cast as Gunter. It was confirmed that Rihanna, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, John Cena, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Adam Pally, Sean William Scott, Joe Taslim, Helen Mirren, John Cleese, Jake Lacy was in the cast.

Filming
Second-unit filming began in late July 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. Principal Photoshot began in Los Angeles, California. In September, scenes were shot all night for five nights in a row at F.A.O. Schwartz toy store. Other locations used for filming were Castello di Amorosa, Robert's Russian Cuisine, 825 South Hill, and Los Angeles's Prospect Park. A two-thirds-scale replica of the Castello di Amorosa was built with wooden grates as floors (to create additional contrast). Gargamel's dungeon under the Castello di Amorsa, which included the "Smurfalator", was built on a soundstage. It took three months to build because some parts were hard to come by. Production eventually found the rare parts at garage sales, flea markets, on eBay and Craigslist.

Animation
On December 2, 2022, it was announced that Canadian animation studio Tonic DNA was working on the animation for the sequel using Toon Boom Harmony. In order to help the Smurfs' animators during post-production, cinematographer Brandon Trost and his team would light up a scene where the Smurfs would be digitally added using 7 and one half-inch tall models to stand in during set-up and rehearsals. He explained, "We can then position the light so that it falls right. The actors know where the Smurf will be when it is animated later, so their eyelines will match. Then we can take out the model and shoot the scene, and they look quite real, fitting the real backing that we're giving them. It looks like they're part of the surroundings". Also during the process the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Vancouver visual effects team used a new camera system to precisely record the on-set lighting, so it could be applied later in the computer. When time came to film a scene that would include actors and Smurfs, each Smurf was represented by a different colored dot and the actors had to remember which dot was which Smurf. The Smurfs characters were created during post-production by 268 Industrial Lights & Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks and MPC employees who spent around 358,000 hours animating.

Release
The nearly complete film was screened as a work in progress beginning September 8, 2023 at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was premiered on December 9, 2023 at L. A. Live, and it was theatrically on December 22, 2023.