# Smurfs (film)
**Smurfs** is a 2025 American animated musical comedy film directed by Chris Miller, produced by [Paramount Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-animation), and based on the Smurfs characters created by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo. Rihanna voices [Smurfette](https://www.edgepedia.org/smurfette), who leads a rescue mission into the real world after Papa Smurf ([John Goodman](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-goodman)) is kidnapped by the evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) The film was released theatrically on July 18, 2025, and is a reboot with no connections to the previous Smurfs movies.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) • [2](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/how-to-watch-smurfs)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | July 18, 2025, in theaters; Paramount+ premiere September 16, 2025[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) • [3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=111777-watch-the-magical-adventure-smurfs-premiering-on-paramount-september-16) |
| Director and writer | Directed by Chris Miller; written by Pam Brady; based on the characters and works of Peyo[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) |
| Lead cast | Rihanna as Smurfette, James Corden as No Name Smurf, John Goodman as Papa Smurf, Kurt Russell, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, and others[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) |
| Rating and runtime | PG; 89 minutes per Paramount (92 minutes per Rotten Tomatoes and Common Sense Media)[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/smurfs) |
| Box office | $58,000,000 production budget; $11,075,090 opening weekend; $31,075,170 domestic; $120,599,727 worldwide[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Smurfs-The) |
| Critical score | 21% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 100 reviews; 64% Popcornmeter audience score[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/smurfs) |
| Music | Original songs by Rihanna, including "Friend of Mine"[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s18jQqtGsMw) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The plot opens in Smurf Village, whose residents safeguard the Jaunty Grimoire, a volume of magic among four that a band of wicked wizards is after, and thereby keep the universe secure.[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/smurfs) When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by the wizards Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him, teaming up with new friends on an adventure in which they discover their true destiny is to save the universe.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs) The plot also follows No Name Smurf, the one Smurf without a defining trait, whose wish for magic and showing off tips off Razamel, Gargamel's brother.[8](https://movie.guru/smurfs-movie-review) [The Smurfs](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-smurfs) are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book.[9](https://apnews.com/article/19e09254028a89c10ad573f6e8735781)
### Place in the franchise
The film is the fourth American-made Smurfs movie and a reboot of the film series.[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/smurfs-review-rihanna-james-corden-b2789455.html) • [2](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/how-to-watch-smurfs) The franchise began with the Belgian comic character Peyo's *Les Schtroumpfs*, first encountered by readers on October 23, 1958, and reached a wide American audience through the 1980s [Hanna-Barbera](https://www.edgepedia.org/hanna-barbera) cartoons.[11](https://time.com/5431298/are-the-smurfs-communist/) • [9](https://apnews.com/article/19e09254028a89c10ad573f6e8735781) [Sony Pictures Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-animation) had produced the previous American films, including the 2011 live-action/computer-animated *[The Smurfs](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-smurfs-film)* and 2017's *Smurfs: The Lost Village*; the 2025 film instead came from Paramount with an all-new cast and creative team.[12](https://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/projects/films/smurfs) • [2](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/how-to-watch-smurfs)
## Music and animation
**A musical reboot.** The film is a musical comedy in which characters break into song, mixing pop ballads, cathartic numbers, and a series of needle-drops alongside new songs produced for the film.[13](https://filmspeak.net/interviews/2025/7/14/chris-miller) Rihanna voices Smurfette and contributes original songs, including "Friend of Mine," which was promoted with the official trailer.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s18jQqtGsMw) • [14](https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/movie-reviews/smurfs) Director Chris Miller paid homage to different generations of animation, incorporating multiple animation styles, and the film includes dimension-hopping sequences that shift between visual styles.[13](https://filmspeak.net/interviews/2025/7/14/chris-miller) Miller and his team created a new lead character, No Name, reasoning that centering the story on a Smurf with no name, when everyone else already comes with an identity, made for good storytelling.[13](https://filmspeak.net/interviews/2025/7/14/chris-miller)
## Reception
**Critical response.** The film opened to largely negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 21% Tomatometer from 100 reviews, with the site's critics consensus calling it "antic and zany without being particularly fun"; the audience Popcornmeter score stood at 64%.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/smurfs) At 21%, it tied with the original 2011 *The Smurfs* as the second highest rated film in the series on the site, behind *Smurfs: The Lost Village* at 41%.[15](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/animation-movies/smurfs-lands-seriously-low-rotten-tomatoes-score-with-critics-calling-it-one-of-the-worst-childrens-movies-but-its-still-the-second-highest-rated-in-the-franchise/) Reviewers criticized the story's pacing and coherence; the Associated Press called it an uninspired, modestly scaled cartoon, while The Independent gave it one star out of five.[9](https://apnews.com/article/19e09254028a89c10ad573f6e8735781) • [16](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/critics-have-seen-smurfs-not-holding-back) Common Sense Media rated it appropriate for ages 7 and up, citing positive messages along with peril and salty language.[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/smurfs)
**Box office.** The film earned $11,075,090 in its opening weekend against a $58,000,000 production budget, and finished with $31,075,170 domestically and $120,599,727 worldwide.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Smurfs-The) An industry analysis in late July 2025, when the 10-day total stood at $22.8 million domestic and $69.1 million worldwide, projected it would be the lowest-earning movie in the series and fall short of the roughly $145 million worldwide then estimated as needed for profitability.[17](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2025-07-27.pdf)
## Home release
The film premiered on [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) on September 16, 2025, and became available on digital platforms and disc.[3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=111777-watch-the-magical-adventure-smurfs-premiering-on-paramount-september-16) • [1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs)
## References
1. [Smurfs, Paramount Pictures](https://www.paramount.com/movies/smurfs)
2. [How to watch Smurfs, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/how-to-watch-smurfs)
3. [Watch the Magical Adventure Smurfs, Premiering on Paramount+ September 16, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=111777-watch-the-magical-adventure-smurfs-premiering-on-paramount-september-16)
4. [Smurfs, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/smurfs)
5. [The Smurfs Franchise Box Office History, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Smurfs-The)
6. [Smurfs | Official Trailer (2025 Movie) – Rihanna, Paramount Pictures on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s18jQqtGsMw)
7. [Smurfs – Parents' Guide & Movie Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/smurfs)
8. [Smurfs (2025), movie.guru](https://movie.guru/smurfs-movie-review)
9. [Movie Review: 'Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/19e09254028a89c10ad573f6e8735781)
10. [Smurfs review, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/smurfs-review-rihanna-james-corden-b2789455.html)
11. [What to Know About the Rise and Fall of the Theory That the Smurfs Are Communists, TIME](https://time.com/5431298/are-the-smurfs-communist/)
12. [The Smurfs, Sony Pictures Animation](https://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/projects/films/smurfs)
13. ['Smurfs' Director Chris Miller Talks Animation Influences and Enduring Appeal of the Franchise, FilmSpeak](https://filmspeak.net/interviews/2025/7/14/chris-miller)
14. [Smurfs movie review, Raising Children Network](https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/movie-reviews/smurfs)
15. [Smurfs lands seriously low Rotten Tomatoes score, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/animation-movies/smurfs-lands-seriously-low-rotten-tomatoes-score-with-critics-calling-it-one-of-the-worst-childrens-movies-but-its-still-the-second-highest-rated-in-the-franchise/)
16. ['I Smurf-ing Loathed It.' Critics Have Seen Smurfs, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/critics-have-seen-smurfs-not-holding-back)
17. [ScreenDollars Newsletter, July 27, 2025](https://api.screendollars.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SCREENDOLLARS-NEWSLETTER-2025-07-27.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Animated and family franchise film entries › Musical and fantasy entries*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license