Smurftastic Comeback in Works

Movie, DVD releases aim to bring blue elves to new generation

By Erin Mendell, Newser User

Posted Feb 21, 2008 3:14 PM CST

(Newser) – At age 50, and after a decade in exile, the Smurfs are planning a comeback, NPR reports, with the original series coming out on DVD and a 3-D movie expected next year. Though today’s kids have more sophisticated options than watching the repair of mushroom houses, “the Smurf village can be a good place to rest," said one marketing type.

And children seem to be feeling Smurfy blue all over again. "My favorite Smurf always has a pencil over his ear. He writes stories," said a 9-year-old in Berlin. But not everyone’s a fan. Some have called Smurf village a “communist utopia,” and others have thought it was just too sickeningly sweet.

[Images (5)]

[Videos (2)]

A stuffed 'Smurf' is seen on a shelf as workers prepare for a press conference on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Smurfs at the Bozar Palace in Brussels, Monday Jan. 14, 2007. The creator... (Associated Press)

Fair-goers walk past a Smurf (Schtroumpf) character at a stand selling Smurf books and merchandise at the Frankfurt Book Fair 12 October 2007. (Getty Images (by Event))

Two children run by a giant Smurf during a press conference on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Smurfs at the Bozar Palace in Brussels, Monday Jan. 14, 2007. The creator of the Smurfs, Pierre... (Associated Press)

Family members of the creator of the Smurfs, from left to right, Veronique, Nine, and Thierry Culliford speak with the moderator, right, during a press conference on the 50th anniversary of the creation... (Associated Press)

Enthusiasts dressed as Smurfs wave during the so-called Schlagermove music festival on 02 July 2005 in Hamburg, northern Germany. (Getty Images)

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The Smurfs: Intro (xeven (YouTube))

Rachel Webley presents her Smurf Collection. (thewebs20 (YouTube))

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Smurftastic Comeback in Works