The Smurfs: A New Generation

The Smurfs: A New Generation is a 2020 American animated musical fantasy comedy film based on the comic series of the same name created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo, the second installment overall of The Smurfs franchise and it serves as a standalone sequel to The Smurfs (2016), produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Animation Group, Peyo Productions, Pearl Studio, animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Industrial Lights & Magic, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film was directed by Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois and Kirk DeMicco, both of whom also wrote the screenplay and were credited with conceiving the story alongside John Cleese. The film stars the ensemble voice cast of Andy Samberg, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, Anna Kendrick, Robert Downey Jr., Rainn Wilson, Idris Elba, Nate Torrence, Lana Condor, George Lopez, Kimiko Glenn, Sofia Carson, James Corden, Tony Hale, Terence Stamp, Bruce Campbell, Chris Cooper, Liza Koshy, Ken Jeong, Elizabeth Perkins, Alan Tudyk, Helen Mirren, Nate Torrence, John Cena, Jane Krakowski, Phil LaMarr, Justice Smith, Yara Shahidi, Michael Peña, Jaboukie Young-White, Toni Collette, Jake Johnson, Adam Pally, Blue Chapman, Darby Camp, and Morgan Freeman.
After the critical and commercial success of the animated film The Smurfs (2016), Disney announced that to make an another a Smurfs musical film, with Sanders, DeBlois and DeMicco confirmed to direct in December 2016 after receiving from a inspiration of The Lorax (2012) and Smallfoot (2018). Cleese brought on board to write the story film. Production was underway by 2017, the official title was revealed in March 2019, and the cast was announced in September 2019.
The Smurfs: A New Generation premiered in Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2020 and was theatrically released in the United States on November 13, 2020, and simultaneously on the streaming platform Disney+ for customers with Premier Access. It grossed $218 million worldwide against its $150 million budget and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the characters, music, animation, voice acting, emotional depth, subject matter, colourful visuals, and story. It was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, 48th Annie Awards, and Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, all losing to Pixar's Soul, but it was won a Kids Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie. A follow-up television series, The Smurfs: Make Your Mark, premiered through Disney+ on May 2021, and a sequel directed by Carlos Saldanha, titled The Smurfs: World Tour, was released on April 4, 2025.
== Plot ==
A village of Smurfs live in isolation on the top of a mountain in the rural town of Green Hills, Montana, above the clouds and hidden away from sight. A smurf named Hefty abides by the law of the ancient stones held by Papa Smurf, the leader of the Smurfs, while his friend Handy Smurf projects himself through the air each morning to hit a gong with his head, as the Smurfs believe this wakes up the sun. teenage Jonathan "Johnny" Howard lives with his father, Miguel, a filmmaker of wildlife documentaries, and his grandmother, Norma. Miguel accept to Johnny going to prom because of Miguel's family and her mother went to prom. At Green Hills High School, Johnny and his friends, Kolka, Marco, and Pipp tells out teenage Mavis Sparks and his rebellious friends Margot, Trevin, and Bliss along with teenage Ruby Gillman to ask out her crush Connor. However, social worker Zac Tieran arrives, doubtful Mavis. While also, Johnny need take care Emily Elizabeth Howard, a 12-year-old middle school student who lives with her English mother, Phylis, is regularly bullied by a popular girl at school named Florence, but finds comfort in her only new friend Owen Yu, before she going to Chicago for a business trip. Johnny witness a plane crash and find a smallfoot (Smurf), however, it demolishing a sardine-themed amusement park meant to revitalize the town in the process.
Also in the village, while learning how to ring the gong, Hefty is distracted by a girl Smurf, Smurfette, whom he has a crush on, and misses the gong, landing outside the village. There, Hefty witnesses a plane crash and finds a "bigfoot" (human), whom the Smurfs believe is mythical. Hefty runs back to inform the villagers, but he lacks proof, and Papa claims he is lying and banishes him from the village. Hefty is suddenly visited by rejected Smurfs Gutsy Smurf, Brainy Smurf, and Jokey Smurf, who do not believe in the stones, and bring him to the Bigfoot Evidentiary Society (B.E.S.), which is led by Smurfette. She convinces Hefty to travel below the clouds despite the stones telling them that there is nothing underneath. Meanwhile, Mr. Culliford, who runs an animal rescue tent at a park, introduces Emily to a book of L’Histoire des Schtroumpfs by researcher Peyo. He tells her that the Smurfs was excited for their world. After some hesitation, Hefty agrees to go, but his rope snaps and Hefty takes gravity, where he discovers land. Johnny meets the pilot who saw Hefty, and he realize that Emily was right. Meanwhile, Miguel attempt to regain his fame, tries unsuccessfully to convince his assistant, Brenda, to dress up as a yeti for filming. 
At lunchtime, Norma, tells him about Gargamel, an evil wizard, who knows what happened to the Smurfs and the trees. Johnny leaves Green Hills and discovers that the land outside of his home town is a barren, contaminated wasteland far from Thneedville, a walled city where all vegetation is artificial. He finds Gargamel, who agrees to tell Johnny the story of the Smurfs and trees over multiple visits. Johnny and Mavis are going to Ruby's birthday party, but they encounters Tex Richman, whose company sells cokes and he loves natures. Explaining that someone pose a threat to his business and the smalltown, Tex intimidates Johnny to stay in town before someone does. Russ Cargill, a corrupt minister, the trees and the oxygen they produce pose a threat to his business, he wants people to move out their smalltown to Thneedville. Johnny continues to visit Gargamel. Gargamel recounts how, as an evil wizard, makes it his mission to capture the Smurfs, steal all of their essence, and become the most powerful wizard. Afterwards, he captured Smurfette. Hefty, Brainy, and Clumsy help Smurfette escape, and they return to Smurf Village. However, Gargamel accidentally cutting Truffula trees just in time Papa comes and confronted him. After attempting to force Gargamel out, Papa made him promise not to capturing any more Smurfs. Instead captured the Smurfs, Gargamel used the Truffula fibers to create the "Thneed", a knitted garment with numerous uses, which became a major success. 
Hefty arrives and meet Clumsy Smurf who also rejected from the village. When Mavis inadvertently terrifies Clumsy by his attempted communication, Clumsy attempts to tranquilize Mavis. However the errant dart ends up hitting Clumsy, rendering him temporarily unconscious and Mavis met up with Hefty. Hefty then decides to saying for a couple days with Clumsy. The next day, Zac repeats his earlier warning and tasks Mavis. After learning from the vet's secretary of Culliford's past miracles with creatures and their owners, the Howards plan to get information on his whereabouts. As Emily meets Mavis at the cafeteria, Mavis humiliates Florence, giving Emily the friends she always wanted. 
Russ saw a photo of Smurf from social media. Wanting to steal Smurf's essence, Russ contacts the police, falsely claiming to have genetically engineered Smurfs, and leads a citywide manhunt for him. Johnny and Emily are evicted from her apartment by Packard (who Ivoshan also tipped off) and pursued by the cops and Ivoshan's henchmen after the former refuses the businessman's bribe. Owen and Emily escape with Clifford in her Uncle's van, while Johnny, Mavis, Lilo, Ruby, his friends and several neighbors successfully fend off Ivoshan's bodyguards. All ten later take shelter in Owen's lavish apartment, where Johnny tells his niece that Smurfs can stay there, provided they locate Bridwell and staying in the town. If he can't be found or can't help, Mavis tells to Johnny to going to Smurfs Village with Hefty along with their friends. Realizing that, Johnny agrees to go with Hefty and Clumsy and they head back up the mountain overnight along with their friends including Mavis and Emily, where they reunite with the B.E.S. the next morning using Mavis's car to flying craft named "Slushious", encounter many foodimals, including a living strawberry names "Barry". The Smurfs are confused by the human appearance, but happily embrace him and learn about his culture. 
Later, Abraham Van Helsing takes Hefty inside the palace and reveals the truth: smurfs used to live in the forest, but were forced into hiding below the clouds by the vicious humans who mercilessly attacked them. To keep themselves safe, the Smurfs created the stones, and the clouds are actually steam made by the Smurfs' daily tasks to keep them hidden from the humans below. Meanwhile, Smurfette is able to develop a rudimentary line of communication with Mavis by referring to crude chalk drawings that Mavis scribbles on her cave wall. In order to protect the Smurf village, Hefty agrees to continue Van Helsing's lie by telling the Smurfs and humans, there is a "monster real-estate law", but the rest of the group finds them in the middle of the confession with Zac comes. Van Helsing shows up and and a saddened Mavis is forced to reveal that she is his daughter, so no one will be unable to alert other humans of the Smurfs' whereabouts. Afterwards, he met again Gargamel, he tells that the next morning, he harvested the Truffula tufts in a sustainable manner until his unscrupulous relatives arrived and persuaded him to resume cutting down trees, leading to large profits, but also deforestation and pollution. After the final Truffula tree fell, Gargamel was ruined and abandoned by his family. With the region uninhabitable, Papa sent the native animals away to the mountain, leaving behind a pile of rocks etched with the word "Unless".
Gargamel gives Johnny the last Truffula seed and urges him to plant it. Johnny returns to Smurf village, but he and Emily later discovers that Smurfette is in danger, and jumps down the mountain. Emily soon learns that a different person also named Culliford has died, meaning the real Culliford still alive, so she and Johnny try to save Smurfette, once again aided by Mavis, Hefty, Gutsy, Brainy, his friends, and friends from their neighborhood following suit. 
As Smurfette reach to Green Hills, she was attacked by the Russ' war machine and henchman, but is rescued by Johnny and his friends. They also destroying Russ's plan and their machine. As Hefty tries to explain to Smurfette that Smurfs are monsters, they see a mural depicting a yeti attacking people and realize that the Smurfs are mythical right now in their world. They try to make it back to the edge of the forest, but are chased by a Russ's helicopter that Van Helsing and Papa takes down using his stones. Johnny attempts to divert the police away from the other yetis, when Percy arrives on his snowmobile and tranquilizes Migo to scare him off to protect him. They flees to the end of the forest with the seed, Emily reunites with Bridwell and desperately seeks his aid as a large crowd gathers. Russ chases him and rallies the citizens against Johnny and his friends, saying Smurfs are dangerous and filthy. Johnny uses a bulldozer to knock down a section of the wall, that Tex build to keep it the forest safe, revealing the environmental desolation outside. Culliford advises Johnny and Emily to advocate for Smurfs and herself, and that being different is a gift. Johnny and Emily explains to everyone the importance of love, regardless of differences. Inspired by Johnny and Emily's conviction, the crowd turns on Russ, whose henchmen banish him, and the seed is finally planted. Zac and the chief informs Russ that he will be fined for lying to them, public disturbance, fraud and wasting police resources. Emily and Johnny reunite with Phyllis and Packard reverses the family's eviction, making Smurfs his new assistant. While Ruby asks Connor out to prom, which he accepts, Zac reveals that he is a former CIA agent who had previously met Papa and Damien in New York City. While Johnny goes to work for Scholastic Corporation.
As time passes, the land begins to recover, and Papa reunites with Gargamel and be friends. While Mavis and Johnny are finally married, with the approval of Van Helsing and Miguel. Back at the village, inside the palace, Hefty explains the truth to the Smurfs and apologizes for lying to them. He tells the others that even though humans may still be scared of the Smurfs, they should try to communicate with them. The Smurfs leave the village, and when Johnny, Mavis and their friends notice them, they emerge from the crowd and stand up for the Smurfs. The rest of the humans slowly welcome the Smurfs and accept them into their lives for a new home. 
In a post-credits scene, Creek and Russ find themselves on the top of a hill, where Russ attempts to eat Creek, but the hill, which is actually a monster, eats them.
== Cast ==
=== Humans ===
* Andy Samberg as Jonathan "Johnny" Howard, an idealistic and optimistic who is determined to prove the existence of the Smurfs.
* Selena Gomez as Mavis Van Helsing, who is Abraham's daughter and Johnny's love interest and later wife. Gomez said she played the role as the same character as Mavis from Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Hotel Transylvania: Escape 2 Internet (2018), and her upcoming PAW Patrol (2021).
* Darby Camp as Emily Howard, a 12-year-old girl who is Johnny's good-natured daughter-in-law.
* Rainn Wilson as Gargamel, an evil wizard, reclusive old man and former inventor who seeks to find the Smurfs and steal their magic in order to become the greatest evil wizard in the world.
* Terence Stamp as Russ Cargill, the corrupt head of Environment Protect Agency, plans to destroy Green Hills, hates the trees, plans to exploit them for personal gain and stealing Smurfs magic.
* Bruce Campbell as Mayor Shelbourne, Green Hills' mayor
* Morgan Freeman as Mr. Culliford, the magical animal rescuer who tells to Grace. He is named after the creator of the Smurfs characters, Pierre Culliford.
* Idris Elba as Abraham Van Helsing, the father of Mavis
* Chris Cooper as Tex Richman, the head of the O'Hare Coke company that supplies breuvage to Green Hills residents, and he likes the trees.
* Izaac Wang as Owen Yu, the boy from another apartment and Emily's best friend and classmate.
* George Lopez as Miguel Sparks, a filmmaker of wildlife documentaries trying to get back in the spotlight and Johnny's father.
* Helen Mirren as Grammy Norma, Johnny's wise-cracking grandmother and Miguel's mother.
* Tony Hale as Zac Tieran, a social worker in charge of Lilo's welfare and Mavis's duties as her guardian.
* Yara Shahidi as Brenda, Miguel's morally conscious assistant, who does not believe in yetis until the end of the film.
* Michael Peña as Gwangi, one of Johnny's best friend.
* Lana Condor as Ruby, a 16-year old girl and one of Mavis's best friend.
* Nate Torrence as "Baby" Brent McHale, the arrogant and dim-witted namesake of the Baby Brent Sardines cannery
* Alan Tudyk as Captain Gordon Lighthouse, a kraken-obsessed old sailor with a peg leg who works as a tour guide and has a crab named "Davy".
* Liza Koshy as Margot, a dramatic girl and one of Mavis's best friend.
* Eduardo Franco as Trevin, a gamer and one of Mavis's friends.
* Ramona Young as Bliss, a goth girl and one of Mavis's friends.
* Harry Shearer as President Arnold Schwarzenegger, the president of United States.
* Ken Jeong as Mr. Yu, Owen's father.
* Kimiko Glenn as Izzy, a princess from Green Hills.
* Sofia Carson as Pipp, a princess from Green Hills who is a talented pop icon and loves to be a good influence on others and entertain other with her music.
* Jaboukie Young-White as Connor, a skater-boy who became Ruby’s love interest.
* Elizabeth Perkins as Phyllis, who owns Canterlogic, a company specializing in products to keep earth ponies "safe and stylish" and Emily's mother
* Jane Krakowski as Haven, who is the mother of Pipp and the monarch of Green Hills.
* Phil LaMarr as Alphabittle, a stallion from the Bridlewood Forest.
* Frank Welker as Azrael, Gargamel's sardonic pet cat. He comes up with all of Gargamel's plans and is shown to be smarter than his incompetent master even though Gargamel gives him no credit and blames him instead of Monty. Frank Welker reprises his role from The Smurfs (2016).
* Dee Bradley Baker as Monty, Gargamel's dimwitted but ruthless pet vulture. He's just as incompent as his master, who gives him more credit than Azrael.
* Dalip Singh as Dalip
* Ken Davitian as Shtarker
* Randy Thom as Barry the Strawberry
=== Smurfs ===
* Justin Timberlake as Hefty Smurf, a strong Smurf who is determined to prove the existence of the mankind, becomes Johnny's human best friend.
* Anna Kendrick as Smurfette, a girl Smurf who was created by the wizard Gargamel, the leader of B.E.S., and Hefty's love interest.
* Robert Downey Jr. as Papa Smurf, the fatherly condescending Smurf chief leader of Smurf Village, who does not want his children entering the Forbidden Forest. Johnny Depp was up to voice him, but dropped out.
* James Corden as Clumsy Smurf, an accident-prone and good-natured Smurf who tends to panic.
* John Cena as Gutsy Smurf, one of three Smurfs created specifically for the film and who is Scottish, wears a kilt and has sideburns.
* Justice Smith as Brainy Smurf, the smartest Smurf, below Papa Smurf
* Gabriel Iglesias as Jokey Smurf, a Smurf that plays pranks on others, usually in the form of "gifts".
* Jeff Dunham as Farmer Smurf, a Smurf who is a farmer.
* Gordon Ramsay as Baker Smurf, a Smurf who bakes cakes.
* Kenan Thompson as Greedy Smurf, a smurf who loves foods.
* Adam Pally as Handy Smurf, a Smurf who builds stuff and makes inventions.
* Jake Johnson as Grouchy Smurf, a Smurf who is always grouchy and ill-tempered.
* Ernest Guillart as Baby Smurf
== Production ==
=== Development ===
Following the critical and commercial success, The Smurfs (2016), Disney announced that to make an another a Smurfs musical film, with Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois and Kirk DeMicco attached as directors in December 2016. In January 2018, it was reported that Sanders and DeBlois took over The Call of the Wild and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World putting Smurfs on hold, and thus postponing its original schedule for a year to a then planned March 2020. John Cleese had been working with DeMicco on a feature based on Roald Dahl's story The Twits, a project that never went into production. Disney got a copy of their script and liked it, and invited Cleese on board.
In March 2019, the title had been revealed to be The Smurfs: A New Generation, and that it would be co-produced by Pearl Studio. Reports later said that the story would mark the beginning of the film will be second-generation,[better source needed] which was confirmed on August 20, 2019. Following the full casting announcement, Sanders, DeBlois and DeMicco were confirmed to be directing. In November 12, 2017, it was announced that Jane Hartwell, Kristine Belson, Brad Lewis, and Bonnie Arnold were produced the film with Roger Deakins serving as the film's visual consultant. Shortly thereafter, Ed Gombert, who previously collaborate with Sanders in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and The Croods (2013), handled the head of story. According to Sanders, DeBlois, and DeMicco, they confirmed after they received inspiration from a inspiration of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), The Muppets (2011), The Lorax (2012) and Smallfoot (2018), as the film takes place in a small town called Green Hills. Overall, the budget was approximately $150 million. Production of the film was shifted to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
=== Casting ===
On September 20, 2019, Andy Samberg, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, Anna Kendrick, Robert Downey Jr., Rainn Wilson, Idris Elba, Lana Condor, George Lopez, Kimiko Glenn, Sofia Carson, James Corden, Tony Hale, Trey Parker, Bruce Campbell, Alan Tudyk, Liza Koshy, Ken Jeong, Elizabeth Perkins, Helen Mirren, Nate Torrence, John Cena, Jane Krakowski, Nate Torrence, Phil LaMarr, Justice Smith, Yara Shahidi, Michael Peña, Jaboukie Young-White, Toni Collette, Jake Johnson, Adam Pally, Blue Chapman, Darby Camp, and Morgan Freeman were revealed to be the film's voice cast. Five months later, Parker was replaced by Terence Stamp and Chris Cooper joined the cast. Part of the film's recording sessions had to be done remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020.
===Animation===
The film was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Industrial Lights & Magic, who they previously doing The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2017), with some additional animation by DNEG and Pearl Studio, and utilized Autodesk Maya for the animation process. The 2D development was handled by James Baxter and animated sequences for The Smurfs: A New Generation were done in South Korea by Rough Draft Studios Korea. The Smurfs: A New Generation contains a stop-motion sequence that was animated by Screen Novelties. The Lego sequence was done by Animal Logic.
=== Music ===
Songwriters Robert Lopez, Kristen-Anderson Lopez, Jon LaJoie, Glenn Slater, Sanders, DeBlois, and DeMicco composed songs for the film, while Alan Silvestri was composed the score, replacing Danny Elfman was originally signed to compose the film's score due of COVID-19 pandemic, Silvestri who previously worked with directors Sanders, DeBlois, DeMicco on Lilo & Stitch (2002), and The Croods (2013). Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack which was released digitally on November 3, 2020 and CD on November 17, 2020.
== Release ==
=== Theatrical ===
The Smurfs: A New Generation was screened as a work in progress beginning September 15, 2020 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was simultaneously released in theaters and on the streaming platform Disney+ Premier Access on November 13, 2020, where it was available for purchase until June 4, 2021, and then became free for all subscribers from that date. It was previously scheduled to be released on May 1, 2020, June 19, 2020, July 17, 2020 and September 11, 2020.
== Follow-up ==
Disney announced a fourth project—a 3D computer-animated streaming television series titled The Smurfs: Make Your Mark—would also be released on the streaming platform, following the film. It was revealed that Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick were returned as the voice cast from the original film in all four projects. Developed by Craig Gerber, Tom Rogers and Thomas Hart and co-produced by the Canadian studio Spin Master Entertainment, Wild Canary Animation and Peyo Productions, The Smurfs: Make Your Mark debuted with the special "Make Your Mark" on May 27, 2021, that served as set-up for the main eight-episode series which premiered on September 19, 2021, on Disney+ and Disney Junior.
== Sequel ==
In December 2020, Disney had started developing a sequel to the film, with Carlos Saldanha set to direct the film.
Category:Disney's The Smurfs