Exciting news this morning! The first trailer and poster for Smurfs: The Lost Village has arrived. In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does.  Embarking on a roller coaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!

Smurfs: The Lost Village features the voices of Demi Lovato as Smurfette, Rainn Wilson as the evil Gargamel, Joe Manganiello as Hefty, Jack McBrayer as Clumsy, Danny Pudi as Brainy, and Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf. Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo & Juliet) directs from a script written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon. The all-new animated adventure is produced by Jordan Kerner (Charlotte's Web, The Smurfs), and co-produced by Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews (Hotel Transylvania). Shortly after the trailer debuted online, The Smurf Production Blog caught up with Kelly Asbury to ask why this movie would be different from the first two Smurf movies that came out. He said this.

"Sony Pictures Animation's previous two Smurfs movies were live action films in which real humans interacted with more realistically designed and animated Smurfs, and the stories centered as much around the human characters' issues. Smurfs: The Lost Village has nothing to do with those other films. It is a radically different take on the Smurfs and their imaginary world, fully computer animated, and much closer to the tone and style that creator Peyo initially envisioned."

The director went onto reveal some of the inspiration behind the movie. Surprisingly, he hinted that two high-adventure journeys played directly into the film's creation. And those were the Steven Spielberg classics Raiders of the Lost Ark and Goonies. The color palate of this new Smurfs animated movie was inspired by some of the great French Impressionists painters. And the Forbidden Forest pulls its inspiration from Oz, Pandora and Wonderland, and will be filled with wonderful, magical and sometimes dangerous creatures. He went onto say this about the ensemble cast.

"Demi Lovato has a certain toughness mixed in with a confident brand of femininity, which is perfect for Smurfette. Mandy Patinkin is one of my favorite actors, who can play both comedy and drama, each with honesty and sincerity. Who better then to play Papa Smurf? Rainn Wilson has a unique way of portraying wacky, comical characters, who are self-important, yet deeply insecure and flawed - that's Gargamel in a nutshell. Joe Manganiello is the manly man, with a big heart, so he's perfect for Hefty and happens to be a major Smurfs fan. Danny Pudi has a way with nerdiness that encompasses Brainy Smurf's persona. Jack McBrayer can channel the fumbling nervousness needed to play Clumsy Smurf. All together, they form a wonderful ensemble, each of whom is hugely fun to work with. And there's other incredible talent in the film which I can't tell you about just yet."

Kelly Asbury went onto talk about the story, which is only hinted at in this first teaser trailer. The movie will not be like anything we've seen before involving the Smurfs. And it could possibly be one of this spring's biggest hits. About what else we can expect to see in the movie, the director plays it coy, while giving some exciting hints.

"Without giving too much away, all I'll say is that this new movie takes the Smurfs - and the audience - on a journey into a Forbidden Forest, a fantastical world like no other, filled with crazy plants, insects and animals. Most of all, there are surprises at every turn. The colors, shapes and overall environment are transportive and exciting, just the way a fun adventure movie should be. And the clever humorous tone should delight audiences of all ages-Smurfs fans or not!"

Smurfs: The Lost Village will be in theaters April 7, 2017. Today, we share with you the first trailer and poster. As you can see, a whole new world awaits! So pull on that white cap, and get ready to get your hands dirty. This is going to be one Smurf of a time!

Smurfs Lost Village Poster