After Sony’s The Smurfs made a great total of $563 million at the world box office a year ago, they waited a grand total of 12 days just before green lighting a follow up. The studio has launched an official logo for the follow up, titled The Smurfs 2, but there was another amazing Smurf-related progress. Apparently, Sony has plenty of confidence in their sequel writers Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche, that they’re now offering the go-ahead on The Smurfs 3. Given that the production of The Smurfs 2 is already ongoing with much of the original cast coming back (plus a few new faces), things must be coming along quite properly.
Raja Gosnell, who helmed the first Smurfs movie, comes back as director for the follow up which also stars Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin and John Oliver. The Smurfs 2 is scheduled for release on July 31st, 2013.
Sony and Columbia Pictures are creating a script for The Smurfs 3 with sequel scribes, Kirkpatrick and Poche. The couple, who in the past worked together on Over the Hedge and Flakes, will draft up a new journey for the little blue creatures, themselves original creations of Belgian comic strip artist, Peyo. Kirkpatrick has a long list of kid-friendly fare, including James and the Giant Peach, Chicken Run, Charlotte’s Web and The Spiderwick Chronicles. For the sequel at least, new cast additions include J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as the “naughty” Smurf, Hackus and Christina Ricci (Sleepy Hollow) as Vexy, an evil version of the lovely Smurfette (Katy Perry).
Read more »
