Fully Animated Smurfs Film Set for 2017 Release

The Smurfs are going back to the drawing board in a fully animated take on the franchise to be released in 2017, Sony Pictures Animation announced Wednesday.

The untitled project is set to have much more in common with the beloved ’80s cartoon than the current half live-action, half computer-animated Smurfs franchise.

“With a fully animated feature close in tone and design to Peyo’s original creation, we’re embracing everything that has made the Smurfs so special for audiences worldwide,” Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures president of worldwide distribution, said in a statement.

Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) is set to direct, with Jordan Kerner (The Smurfs) producing and Mary Ellen Bauder (Hotel Transylvania) co-producing. The film’s final title and voice cast will be announced in the next few months.

The film is set for March 31, 2017, global release, in order to line up with Easter.

This article originally appeared on EW.com

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