The Smurfs (2008)

[jacobsnchz]

"The Smurfs" has been announced for a new movie which will soon be released in probably 2008 by Paramount Pictures. Herbert Ratner III is writing the screenplay. John Lithgow and Julia Sweeney are rumored to be voices in the film. No word whether the film will be animated or CGI, though some resources claim:

"The little blue dudes will now be the subject of a series of 3-D animated films, the first of which is scheduled to hit screens in 2008 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the characters (they initially appeared in comics by Peyo Culliford). Sounds positively smurfy to us! (Kim Hollis/BOP) " -BoxOfficeProphets.com

"But all that is about the change, with the news that the Smurfs, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (see here) before them, are about to make the leap from the small screen to the big, in CGI form." -Cimcs2Film.com

"The feature film will 3-D and CG-Animated." -ComingSoon.net

"Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the Smurfs and are setting up development of a 3-D CGI feature film. Plans are to produce a trio of films with the first being released in 2008 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the characters." -EmpireMovies.com

 

[BEAR]

Sounds to me like it's going to be a CGI (a la Pixar/Shrek), which is cool. I imagine the Smurfs and their world would look great in CGI. I always loved the Smurfs and I look forward to seeing how this movie develops.

 

[D'Snowth]

It's got to suck.

 

[Barry Lee]

Yeah, I agree with D'Snowth, this might be pretty bad. Why can't people make original movies, not remakes, or movies based on television shows? Directors and Writers are getting lazy. Verrry lazy.

 

[Teheheman]

Yeah, I agree with D'Snowth, this might be pretty bad. Why can't people make original movies, not remakes, or movies based on television shows? Directors and Writers are getting lazy. Verrry lazy.

THANK YOU BARRY FOR MAKING MY POINT FOR ME!!!!!!!!!! I wrote a whole myspace blog on it, where nobody in hollywood would listen, but honestly, I think that the reason that they do this is the fact that they think that they can tap into the nostalgia(sp?) market, where people who watched the show and remember it as a kid, will go and spend money to see it in theaters. Personally, I might see it when it comes out on DVD, but now-in-days the only way that you could do the Smurfs is in 3-D/CGI. I'm personally getting tired of all this CGI/3-D type of animation. It's getting rediculous, I mean it was cute at first, something different, but it's getting to be too much. Every cartoon now has to be computer generated to where you can see every fricken hair on the guys head. It's gettin to be just too much for me I guess.

Daniel

 

[Luke]

I think that the reason that they do this is the fact that they think that they can tap into the nostalgia(sp?) market, where people who watched the show and remember it as a kid, will go and spend money to see it in theaters.

Aren't Henson doing this with Fraggle though? I mean nothing was really working for them and all of a sudden you've got Fraggle Rock The Movie and a new Dark Crystal etc. And Henson are jumping onboard late, probably too late with the Fraggle release!

I don't think you can blame companies for doing this, yes it does show a lack of ideas, but its also less risk for them when money is tight in media at the moment and a lot of the time people would rather see the old stuff more than the new. I think you get to a point where most ideas have already been done!

 

[Super Scooter]

Yeah, it's really hard to take a chance on something new anymore, especially if the filmmaker is pursuing a big budget. You just don't know what's going to work with an audience.

 

[anytimepally]

Yeah, I agree with D'Snowth, this might be pretty bad. Why can't people make original movies, not remakes, or movies based on television shows? Directors and Writers are getting lazy. Verrry lazy.

I completely agree.. and John Lithgow? that frightens me by itself.. I wonder if any of the 80s voice actors are still around

 

[Teheheman]

I don't know, I think that if they do the Smurf in CGI, and Gargamel in real life, John Lithgow's perfect. He has that kinda Gargamel look to him, and remember, he WAS the villian in the original Shrek.

Daniel

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I completely agree.. and John Lithgow? that frightens me by itself.. I wonder if any of the 80s voice actors are still around

Frank welker, who did the voice of Clockworth Smurf, is still around and is still doing voices.

Frank did the voice of Dr. Claw from "Inspector Gadget", Ray Stantz from "The Real Ghostbusters", Fred Jones from "Scooby Doo", characters from "G.I. Joe", Beaker from "Muppet Babies", Gogo Dodo, Little Beeper, Calamity Coyote, and Furrball from "Tiny Toons", Thaddeus Plotz from "Animaniacs", Abu in "Aladdin", Stripe Gremlin and Mohawk Gremlin from "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2", and Megatron and Soundwave from "Transformers".

And yes Frank is still working as a voice actor, so he is available for both the Smerfs movie and the new Transformers movie.

I also have to agree that I'm tired of seeing CGI for the bases of cartoon movies. It was good in the beginning, something new for everyone to see, now it's just old.

I also have to agree that I don't want to see a Smurfs movie either. Leave the Smurfs alone. They're one of the best cartoon shows from the magical decade of the 1980's. I don't care if the movie is going to be great. Just leave those little blue guys alone!