The Smurfs

New SMURFS 2 Logo, SMURFS 3 in Development

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 10th, 2012 at 7:26 pm

 

After Sony’s The Smurfs grossed a grand total of $563 million at the global box office last year, they waited a grand total of 12 days before green lighting a sequel.  The studio has released an official logo (above) for the sequel, titled The Smurfs 2, but there was another surprising Smurf-related development today.  Apparently, Sony has enough confidence in their sequel writers Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche, that they’re now giving the go-ahead on The Smurfs 3. Given that the production of The Smurfs 2 is already underway with much of the original cast returning (plus a few new faces), things must be coming along quite nicely.

Raja Gosnell, who helmed the first Smurfs film, returns as director for the sequel which also stars Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin and John Oliver. The Smurfs 2 is set for release on July 31st, 2013.  Hit the jump for news on The Smurfs 3.

Brendan Gleeson, J.B. Smoove, and Christina Ricci Set for SMURFS 2

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 26th, 2012 at 12:36 pm

In case you forgot, a sequel to last year’s The Smurfs is on its way (sigh).  Nearly the entire cast from the first pic—including Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria and Katy Perry—are returning, and now THR reports that Brendan Gleeson and J.B. Smoove will be joining the cast as newcomers.  In addition, THR noted a few days ago that Christina Ricci will also come onboard.  Ricci will be playing Vexy, an evil version of the lovely Smurfette (Perry), while Smoove will voice a new character named “Hackus” who is described as “naughty” (the Smurfs have always walked a fine line between children’s fare and inappropriate).  Gleeson, meanwhile, will play Harris’ stepfather, Victor Doyle.  Given that this is a kids’ film, I can only assume that the stepfather will be somewhat evil.

Raja Gosnell, who helmed the first Smurfs film, returns as director for the sequel which also stars Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin and John Oliver. The Smurfs 2 is set for release on July 31st, 2013.

Is the CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS Sequel Called CLOUDY 2: REVENGE OF THE LEFTOVERS? Plus a First Look at Promo Poster

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 29th, 2012 at 1:49 pm

I love the animated adaptation of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  It is delightfully strange, witty, and at times, downright darkly comic (it still blows my mind that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller got away with the scene where Flynn charges into a house, and basically uses snowballs to murder a family).  I was a little bummed that the duo wouldn’t be returning for the sequel, but I’m encouraged that Horrible Bosses writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are handling the script, and new directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn worked on the first movie.  We still don’t know what the sequel will be about, but we might know what it’s called.  We were sent a promo poster for the movie and the title reads: Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers.  As you may recall, the leftovers created a crazy avalanche that forced out the poor citizens of Swallow Falls, so haven’t the leftovers already had their revenge?

Again, this could just be a working title, and to be honest, I don’t really care what the movie is called.  I’m just hoping the flick is as funny and memorable as Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs.  Hit the jump to check out the promo poster.

97 Original Scores Up for Oscar; DRIVE and ATTACK THE BLOCK Ruled Ineligible

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

As the 84th Academy Awards move closer, we’re starting to get a better sense of how things will pan out. We recently shared the 39 songs that will contend for the Best Original Song category, and now the Academy has announced the 97 original scores eligible for the Best Original Score award. AMPAS is notoriously picky when it comes to eligibility in this category, and as we feared the scores for both Drive and Attack the Block have been deemed ineligible. Also disappointing is the ineligibility of Alexandre Desplat’s mesmerizing score for The Tree of Life.

While it’s upsetting to see some of the year’s best work side-lined, there’s plenty to be happy about. I was a huge fan of Howard Shore’s work in Hugo and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as The Chemical Brothers’ brilliant work in the criminally underseen Hanna. Hit the jump for the full list, as well as who I think will make the cut.

Weekend Box Office – IMMORTALS Stays On Top with $32 Million; JACK AND JILL Second with $26 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 13th, 2011 at 8:56 am

Jack and Jill gained some ground on Saturday, though not enough to slay the Immortals.  The 3D action/fantasy film finished first with an estimated $32 million from 3,112 locations. Considering that the film’s distributor was expecting a top opening of $26 million that has to be seen as a win.  And even if the film’s total does look somewhat anemic compared to past 3D hits, with the year we’ve had I’d prefer to focus on the positive.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Immortals	$32,000,000	$32
2	Jack and Jill	$26,000,000	$26
3	Puss In Boots	$25,500,000	$108.8
4	Tower Heist	$13,200,000	$43.9
5	J. Edgar	$11,470,000	$11.5
6	Harold and Kumar 3D	$5,900,000	$23.2
7	In Time	$4,150,000	$30.6
8	Paranormal Activity 3	$3,625,000	$100.8
9	Footloose	$2,735,000	$48.8
10	Real Steel	$2,000,000	$81.7

18 Animated Feature Films Submit for 84th Annual Academy Awards

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 4th, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Under consideration for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature will be 18 contenders, some of which have yet to have their qualifying runs on screen. Major features include The Adventures of Tintin, Rango and Cars 2. Disney/Pixar has won 6 out of 10 years, while winning the last four in a row, but with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots in the running, it could very well be their turn. Though there are some dark horses in the mix.

Submitted films must satisfy the category’s qualifying rules, including their theatrical release, in order to continue the submission process. In order to activate the award category at all, no fewer than 8 animated features must be released in theaters in Los Angeles County within the calendar year. If these films meet requirements for other categories, including Best Picture, they may be eligible for those awards as well. Hit the jump to see the full list.

Weekend Box Office – THE HELP Jumps to First with $20 Million, Topping All New Releases

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 21st, 2011 at 9:41 am

After two weeks on top, Rise of the Planet of the Apes swapped places with last week’s number two The Help on top of the weekend box office.  That left places 3-5 for the major new releases, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, Conan the Barbarian, and Fright Night.  Even One Day managed only a middling per-screen average in its smaller release.  Details after the jump.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	The Help	$20,479,000	$71.8
2	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	$16,300,000	$133.8
3	Spy Kids 4	$12,020,000	$12.0
4	Conan the Barbarian	$10,000,000	$10.0
5	Fright Night	$8,300,000	$8.3
6	The Smurfs	$8,000,000	$117.7
7	Final Destination 5	$7,705,000	$32.2
8	30 Minutes or Less	$6,300,000	$25.8
9	One Day	$5,127,567	$5.1
10	Crazy, Stupid, Love	$4,950,000	$64.4

THE SMURFS Writers Return for THE SMURFS 2

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 17th, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Never underestimate the power of kids. While all eyes were on Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens, Sony’s The Smurfs ended up being the film that brought audiences in in droves this July, raking in $35 million in its first weekend. Suffice it to say, kids the country over were begging their parents to take them to the movie with the little blue guys, and a large number of parents acquiesced. We reported last week that Sony had already slated The Smurfs 2 for August 2, 2013, and now THR reports that the first film’s writers have just turned in a draft for a sequel.

Writing teams David Stem and David Weiss and Jay Scherick and David Ronn began working on the sequel’s story back in the spring (a bit confident, eh Sony?), and Stem and Weiss then went off to write the actual script, which director Raja Gosnell and producer Jordan Kerner told Steve about in their interview back in June. So it sure sounds like things are off and running for the follow-up.

Sony Sets THE SMURFS 2 for August 2, 2013

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 1:22 pm

After managing to almost beat out Cowboys & Aliens at the box office a couple weeks ago, The Smurfs now qualifies as a “surprise hit” even though it was marketed to death and aimed squarely at young children who are worth the price of two tickets since at least one parent usually has to tag along.  Sony has now given the go ahead to The Smurfs 2 and will release the film on August 2, 2013.  Back in June, Steve caught up with The Smurfs director Raja Gosnell and producer Jordan Kerner during which the pair talked about how they had already began penning The Smurfs 2.  You can click here to check out his video interview with them and rest assured knowing that two years from now we’ll be getting more tired jokes about how the word “smurf” can be used as a substitute for swear words. [Box Office Mojo]

Friday Box Office – RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Dominates with $19.7 Million Debut

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 9:02 am

Looks like the marketing got it right: this weekend the apes will rise.  Fox’s modern entry in the classic Planet of the Apes franchise – Rise of the Planet of the Apes – opened on Friday with $19.75 million from 3,648 locations.  That puts the prequel /remake /reboot on track for a three day estimate of between $45 and $50 million.  Not only is that significantly above early projections for the film, but it is also well over what last weekend’s higher-budgeted Cowboys and Aliens pulled in for its (just barely) number one debut over The Smurfs.  After missing out on that top spot, the family film went on to beat the smurf out of Cowboys and Aliens all week long; including Friday where The Smurfs placed second.  Though statistically tied for third place, the weekend’s second new release is a big disappointment no matter how you slice it.  The R-rated comedy The Change-Up opened with an estimated $4.7 million from 2,913 locations and is not expected to make even the modest mid-teens that Universal projected.  Details and analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	$19,750,000	$19.75
2	The Smurfs	$5,950,000	$61.1
3	Cowboys and Aliens	$4,749,000	$56.3
4	The Change-Up	$4,748,000	$4.78
5	Captain America	$3,800,000	$134

Weekend Box Office – It’s a Draw. COWBOYS AND ALIENS Tie THE SMURFS with $36.2 Million Each

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 31st, 2011 at 10:21 am

At the moment the estimates for the weekend’s two top films are dead even: a box office rarity.  Both Cowboys and Aliens and The Smurfs are claiming estimates of $36.2 million – a figure that is slightly embarrassing for one film and a near miracle for the other.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Cowboys and Aliens	$36,200,000	$36.2
2	The Smurfs	$36,200,000	$36.2
3	Captain America	$24,900,000	$116.7
4	Harry Potter 7b	$21,900,000	$318.4
5	Crazy Stupid Love	$19,300,000	$19.3
6	Friends With Benefits	$9,300,000	$38.2
7	Horrible Bosses	$7,100,000	$96.2
8	Transformers 3	$5,970,000	$337.8
9	Zookeeper	$4,200,000	$68.7
10	Cars 2	$2,300,000	$182

Alan Cumming Interview THE SMURFS

by Jake Lasker    Posted: July 30th, 2011 at 11:24 am

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) for The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In the film, Cumming voices Gutsy Smurf. I had a lot of fun with this movie and I know kids are going to absolutely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed Cummings’ excitement at finally playing a Scottish character, wearing kilts, the voice-acting process and much more.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Friday Box Office – What the Smurf? THE SMURFS Edge Out COWBOYS AND ALIENS On Opening Day

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 30th, 2011 at 9:01 am

This week the box office gave us Cowboys and Aliens: a huge action movie directed by Jon Favreau, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and produced by Steven Spielberg. It also gave us The Smurfs: a movie about tiny, animated blue creatures from the eighties which was supposed to play as family-friendly counter-programming to the would-be summer blockbuster. So what’s with that chart?  Opening in 3,750 locations, Cowboys and Aliens was projected to take the weekend with $45-$50 million to The Smurfs $20 million from 3,395 dates.  With Friday’s estimates, however, it now looks like Cowboys will be a first-place disappointment with $40 million while The Smurfs will overperform in second place with at least $30 million.  Meanwhile, the third new release of the week, Crazy Stupid Love, opened in 3,020 locations, taking in an estimated $6.6 million for a weekend projection of $20 million.  Full details and analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	The Smurfs	$13,300,000	$13.3
2	Cowboys and Aliens	$12,990,000	$12.9
3	Captain America	$8,000,000	$99.8
4	Harry Potter 7b	$6,625,000	$303.1
5	Crazy Stupid Love	$6,600,000	$6.6

Sofia Vergara Talks SMURFS, MODERN FAMILY, NEW YEAR’S EVE and THE THREE STOOGES

by Jake Lasker    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 8:15 pm

About a week ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) in anticipation of her family film, The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In The Smurfs, Vergara plays Odile, an executive at a cosmetics company who is the boss of Neil Patrick Harris’ character. I had a lot of fun with the movie and kids will absolutely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed bossing around Harris, Sofia’s earliest memories of the Smurfs, and her upcoming work in Happy Feet Two, New Year’s Eve and, of course, The Three Stooges. I also got a brief update on the next season of Modern Family.  Watch the interview after the jump.

10 Interviews You May Have Missed: Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson TINTIN, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Marc Webb THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 3:11 pm

As you may have noticed, we’ve been a bit flooded with content for the past week thanks in no small part to Comic-Con 2011. We’ve been posting our full-scale coverage from the convention (I’m still trying to catch up on sleep), which has included a large number of interviews. We know some of you might have missed a few of these interviews, so we’ve compiled a sort of “catch up” list of 10 that we thought you might enjoy.

Not all of the interviews are Comic-Con related, but we’ve got conversations with Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, Damon Lindelof, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Marc Webb, Steve Carell, Patrick Stewart, Don Cheadle, Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays, Nicolas Winding Refn, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Don Cheadle and Kate Beckinsale. Hit the jump for some quick recaps and links to the full interviews.

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