Smurfs Animated Musical Film Brings Chris Miller on to Direct

Chris Miller, the Oscar-nominated director of 2011’s Puss in Boots, is set to direct the latest Smurfs animated feature film. The movie comes from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. Although we don’t know the official title for the film, the upcoming movie is reportedly a musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This musical will be the first in a series of projects for Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation, who announced a partnership earlier this year with Smurf worldwide license holders LAFIG Belgium and IMPS. The partnership includes multiple movies based on the Smurfs property, with the untitled musical being the first of those projects. The film comes from a screenplay by Pam Brady, known for the 2022 film The Bubble, and South Park.

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Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation, recently shared her excitement for the upcoming musical.

“We’re thrilled to have such a talented group of people bringing audiences this latest rendition of the beloved Smurfs universe, including the incredible Chris Miller.”

Chris Miller Has Experience in Animation

Paramount Pictures

Chris Miller’s work in animation is vast and includes both directing and acting on his resume. In 2007, he helmed Shrek the Third, which received primarily positive reviews and was outstanding at the box office, garnering $813 million worldwide against a $160 million budget. He followed that up with Puss in Boots in 2011, focusing on the outlaw feline played by Antonio Banderas in the Shrek franchise. The film was another success for DreamWorks and Paramount, receiving positive reviews and $554 million at the box office. In addition, Puss in Boots received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, losing out to the beloved Toy Story 3.

Miller is no stranger to voice acting either. In his own films, he appeared as Little Boy Blue in Puss in Boots, and the Singing Villain in Shrek the Third. In 2005, Miller was a penguin named Kowalski in Madagascar. He would continue the role through two more Madagascar films and a spinoff focusing on the group titled Penguins of Madagascar. Miller is also credited with roles in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, The Boss Baby, and Turbo.

Chris Miller will hope to replicate his success in the animated field thus far with his upcoming Smurfs movie. The feature film will be the first he’s directed since 2011, aside from another forthcoming movie, September 21, 2021. The untitled Smurfs musical is slated to release in theaters on December 20, 2024.

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