The trailer for Paramount's Smurfs reboot is now online, giving us a first glimpse of some footage from the animated/live-action hybrid musical.
The teaser begins with a little Superman nod, before we're introduced to the eponymous blue creatures living happily as ever in Smurf Village. When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is captured by the villainous Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) steps up to lead a rescue mission to the real world.
Chris Miller and Matt Landon direct, while Pam Brady wrote the screenplay. The voice cast also features Natasha Lyonne, Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, Daniel Levy, Octavia Spencer, Sandra Oh, Hannah Waddingham, Xolo Maridueña, James Corden, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, and Kurt Russell.
“The DNA in Peyo’s original drawings guide so many creative choices in the film,” Miller said at a presentation at the Annecy Animation Festival last June. “It’s the blueprint for the kind of film I want to make. All of the action lines and thought bubbles from the comics are going in the movie, and the comics have inspired the style of animation to be fun and buoyant, with plenty of squash and stretch.”
Miller went on to praise Rihanna’s contributions to the project, with the pop megastar writing, producing and singing new original songs that will help guide the spirit of the movie.
Lyonne recently hinted that there might be some connection between her Smurfs character and whoever she's playing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
"I’m very moved that they want me to be in that movie. It is all very interstellar-type stuff, coming at it from different directions. I’m also in the Smurfs movie, and actually some stuff does happen that’s… I don’t want to get into it, because I’ll get in trouble. But assuming that I’m dead by 8:45 p.m. tonight and they have to cut the movies together in a mash-up, it will all marry well, I think.”
Unfortunately, Lyonne's Smurfs role has not been disclosed, but there's a chance she's voicing the leader of the International Neighbourhood Watch Smurfs (though she doesn't really sound like the Russian Doll star).
Check out the trailer below along with some new posters, and let us know what you think.
"When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe."
The Smurfs were introduced in the 1980s animated TV series of the same name, with Sony's animated movie starring Katy Perry as Smurfette released in 2011. A sequel, 2013's Smurfs: The Lost Village, and a 2017 reboot followed.
The Smurfs musical is set to hit theaters this July.