'The Smurfs' Head to Nickelodeon with Brand-New Animated Series and Consumer Products Line

THE SMURFS HEAD TO NICKELODEON WITH BRAND-NEW ANIMATED SERIES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS LINE,

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAFIG BELGIUM AND IMPS

NEW YORK–June 18, 2020–Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, and LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors for The Smurfs, are partnering to bring a brand-new original CG-animated series based on the iconic property to a new generation of kids and families around the world. Under the deal, Nickelodeon has licensed the global rights to The Smurfs which follows the beloved characters--Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy and others--on all-new adventures, packed with humor, heart and high-stakes action. The series is slated to debut in 2021 in the U.S., followed by Nickelodeon channels internationally.

In addition to the content partnership, ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) will manage consumer products licensing for The Smurfs property across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia. VCP will seek new merchandising and promotional partners in select categories and territories for The Smurfs classic brand, in addition to a new product line for the new animated series The Smurfs, spanning categories including toys, stationery, apparel and accessories, home, consumer packaged goods and more, to launch at retail in 2022.

The companies declined to describe financial terms of the deal.

“The Smurfs is an iconic global franchise that has resonated with audiences for decades,” said Pam Kaufman, President, ViacomCBS Consumer Products. “By partnering with LAFIG, we are able to join our creative forces to bring an all-new line of consumer products across multiple categories to consumers, along with a fresh and original animated series.”

“The Smurfs have entertained generations of kids and families globally, and we are thrilled to bring these identifiable characters, their stories and universal themes of cooperation, sharing and caring for their community to Nickelodeon,” said Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships.

“I am extremely proud and happy to have Nickelodeon and its fantastic team to represent our Smurf brand both for the broadcast of our beautiful New TV series and as an agent. We are making history again more than 40 years after the global success of the first TV series of the Smurfs, which is broadcast in more than 100 countries still today! I am convinced that we could not have found a better partner to smurf our beautiful blue planet,” said Véronique Culliford, Founder & President of IMPS/LAFIG.

The Smurfs is produced by Peyo Productions and Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel. It is directed by William Renaud (Calimero, Casper’s Scare School, A Kind of Magic) and written by Peter Saisselin (Sonic Boom, Alvin!!! And the Chipmunks) and Amy Serafin (Sonic Boom, Alvin!!! And the Chipmunks).

The Smurfs will be overseen by Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships and Dana Cluverius, Senior Vice President, Current Series Animation.

The Smurfs partnership is part of Nickelodeon’s strategy to be the home for the biggest franchises kids and families love, and it expands Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Blue’s Clues & You!, the first-ever SpongeBob spinoff, Kamp Koral, and an all-new animated Star Trek series.

Created in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Peyo, pen name of Pierre Culliford (1928-1992), the Smurfs (French: Les Schtroumpfs) evolved from secondary comic characters in Peyo's Johan and Peewit (French: Johan et Pirlouit) comic series and spinning off into their own series the following year, in which they became the small centerpieces of the massive franchise that skyrocketed to global fame with the 1981 launch of The Smurfs (Smurfs' Adventures) Saturday morning cartoon series, which, produced by Hanna-Barbera aired new episodes on NBC until 1989, running for more than 250 episodes and several specials over nine seasons. It would eventually manifest in live-action CG-animation hybrid splendor on the big screen. The 2011 feature film of the same name and its 2013 sequel, The Smurfs 2 were produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Columbia Pictures. Hank Azaria and Neil Patrick Harris starred in live-action roles, with voiceovers by Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry (famously providing the voice of Smurfette), Jayma Mays, and George Lopez. A fully CG-animated standalone movie, The Smurfs: Lost Village was released in April 2017, featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Ellie Kemper, Julia Roberts and Mandy Patinkin. The Smurfs have also featured in two shorts.

The Smurfs' popularity lives on; in March, 3,549 fans thumbed their blue noses at science and gathered in France to break the world record for the largest gathering of Smurfs, despite warnings not to gather in large groups during the global pandemic.

Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures previously attempted to produce a CG-animated Smurfs movie in 2005, with producer Jordan Kerner. The producers conceived the project as a trilogy and aimed to release the first film in 2008 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Smurfs.

This isn’t the first time Nickelodeon tried to bring th The Smurfs, as they first attempted to adapt it into an animated feature trilogy with Paramount Pictures back in 2005. Three years later, however, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation took control of the film rights, where they then produced two successful, yet critically panned live-action/CGI Smurfs films of 2011 and 2013. Sony attempted course-correction with their 2017 fully-animated reboot Smurfs: The Lost Village, but that ended up with disappointing box office returns.

About Peyo, LAFIG Belgium/IMPS (International Merchandising Promotions & Services)

IMPS, together with LAFIG Belgium, are the official licensors of the little blue-skinned characters ‘The Smurfs.’ Over the years, IMPS has worked in close collaboration with its agents worldwide to develop successful licensed merchandising, retail and co-branded promotions, publishing activities, broadcasting deals, theme parks, live shows and family entertainment centers that have secured the everlasting success of the Smurfs. IMPS is run by Véronique Culliford, the daughter of Pierre Culliford, the creator of the Smurfs, who is better known under his pseudonym Peyo. Véronique has run IMPS since 1984 and controls with LAFIG Belgium the rights to the Smurfs characters and the Smurfs licensing worldwide.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

Updates:

(7/5) - TFOU, the kids’ programming strand of leading French commercial broadcaster TF1 who will premiering the brand new The Smurfs series (locally titled Les Schtroumpfs) as part of their Autumn/Winter 2020 programming highlights, has released new details about the new series!

The Smurfs will feature iconic Smurfs such as Joker Smurf and Baby Smurf, Grouchy Smurf and Musician Smurf, as well as the return of villains, such as wizard Gargamel and his cat, Azrael.

Smurfette has long been the only girl Smurf in the village, however, this will change in The Smurfs, when the Smurfs meet a "tribe" of girl Smurfs (Smurfettes)! Reckless, inventive and unpredictable, Smurfwillow, Smurfstorm, Smurfbuttercup and Smurfflower, among others will also accompany the Smurfs in their funny and thrilling adventures.

The Smurfs season one will have 52x13’ episodes as three 26-minute specials.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Originally published: Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 18:08 BST.

Additional sources: Den of Geek, Variety, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Inquisitr, Rotoscopers, E! News.

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