The Smurfs arrive on the big screen in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures
Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil
wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, through a magical portal, and
into our world, they land in the middle of New York’s Central Park. Just three apples
high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village
before Gargamel tracks them down.
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation present a Kerner Entertainment
Company production, The Smurfs. The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays,
Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. Directed by Raja Gosnell. Produced by
Jordan Kerner. Screenplay by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick &
David Ronn. Story by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss. Based on the characters and
works of Peyo. Executive Producers are Ezra Swerdlow, Ben Haber, and Paul Neesan.
Director of Photography is Phil Méheux, BSC. Production Designer is Bill Boes. Editor
is Sabrina Plisco, A.C.E. Special Visual Effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc.
Visual Effects Supervisor is Richard R. Hoover. Costume Designer is Rita Ryack.
Music by Heitor Pereira.
SMURF, and all Smurfs characters ©Peyo. All Rights Reserved. “Smurf” and “The
Smurfs” are registered trademarks of STUDIO PEYO.
ABOUT THE FILM
In 1958, a Belgian artist named Pierre “Peyo” Culliford created the Smurfs for a comic
book. The “Schtroumpfs,” as they were called, were immediately popular – generating
a wave of letters to the editor demanding more – and over the next fifty years, they
became nothing short of a phenomenon, coming to life in comics, books, television
series, films, videogames, live shows, and figurines (over 300 million sold). The
characters’ cross-generational appeal has only grown as children who grew up on the
Smurfs – including the Saturday morning cartoon – are now parents themselves and
introducing their children to the Smurfs for the first time.
According to producer Jordan Kerner, it’s easy to see why the Smurfs have entertained
people around the world for generations. It’s not just that they’re adorable – they also
represent a type of humanity at its best. “The Smurfs are an analogy for a nation,” says
Kerner. “They emphasize family and the importance of cooperation. More importantly,
they always see the best in people first. The Smurfs really care for and look after one
another.”
Now, the Smurfs make their first trip out of their village and land on the big screen in
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s The Smurfs. “It’s very much a Smurfout-of-water movie,” says Raja Gosnell, who directs. “We took this Smurfy code of
living and played it against modern-day New York City.”
The story of Kerner’s quest to bring the Smurfs to the big screen reaches all the way
back to a breakfast meeting in 1980 with legendary NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff.
Tartikoff suggested that Kerner read a book series based on the Smurfs, which Tartikoff
was considering to develop into a show. Kerner was immediately captivated. Of course,
Tartikoff would bring “The Smurfs” to Saturday mornings, with the Hanna-Barbera series
running 256 episodes over eight years.
In 1997, Kerner sent the first of a series of letters to Lafig, the licensing agent for the
Smurfs brand, expressing his interest in making a movie. And in 2002, after there was a
draft of Kerner’s successful, heartfelt adaptation of E.B. White’s classic novel,
Charlotte’s Web, Peyo’s heirs knew that the Smurfs would be in good hands.
Véronique Culliford, Peyo’s daughter, says that her father gave his creation a universal
appeal. “The Smurfs are all very similar, but each Smurf is unique,” she says.
“Everybody can recognize himself in one of the Smurfs. There is a Smurf for every
personality. They are very kind, very social. They have all the qualities that people
would like to have.”
As Culliford notes, some things change in life, but the Smurfs are a constant reference
point. “The stories remain popular across the generations because people will stay
people. We remain as we are and the Smurfs mirror us in our lives. We can adapt to
the years, to different technology, but who we are is unchanged.”
Culliford and her family had wanted to make a movie of the Smurfs for many years.
When it became obvious that Kerner shared their vision and enthusiasm, Culliford saw it
as “magic. Jordan was the first person we met who wanted to make the same Smurf
movie we wanted to make,” she says.
It’s a fulfillment of a long-time dream for Culliford, who has grown up with her father’s
creation. “The Smurfs arrived in 1958, my birth year,” she says, “so the Smurfs have
been part of my life from the beginning. I always lived with the Smurfs. My father
worked at home, and when I’d get back from school, there would be Smurfs
everywhere, and we would speak Smurf. For me, it’s so natural to have the Smurfs
around.”
Kerner felt that this film was the perfect new form for the next iteration of the Smurf
story, all of which was shot in New York City at such iconic locations as Central Park
and Belvedere Castle, as well as FAO Schwarz, the Russian Tea Room, Rockefeller
Center, and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
Kerner adds that director Raja Gosnell’s expertise and gentle touch -- not to mention his
hands-on experience marrying live-action and computer animated characters in such
films as Scooby-Doo and Beverly Hills Chihuahua – made him the perfect choice to
direct. “I just have to say that Raja is one of the smartest, most intuitive, kindest,
wonderful people to work with,” he says. “It was magical every day. We all wanted to
make a film we would be proud of, and to help execute the vision he had for these
characters.”
The family wanted to preserve the Smurf legacy as true to form as possible—and so did
Kerner. “The most important thing,” Culliford adds, “is that the Smurfs stay the Smurfs.
They’re leaving their village for the first time, which is exciting.
There are many questions that need to be answered in the mythology of the Smurfs and
Kerner sees them being answered in the framework of a franchise. Who are the Smurfs,
really, and Where do they come from? How did Gargamel get there and why is he such
a sour puss? Why did he create Smurfette?
One of the many continuing traditions is the introduction of new Smurfs. The
filmmakers had the opportunity to imagine three new Smurfs for the movie – Panicky,
Crazy, and Gutsy, the last of which takes on a starring role.
ABOUT THE SMURFS
With about 100 different Smurfs running around Smurf village, give or take a Smurf, it
can be a difficult task to keep everybody happy. You have to have patience, brains,
maturity…and perhaps a beard. As the wise leader of the Smurfs, PAPA SMURF truly
embodies these qualities and knows how to handle his Smurfs. Papa can often be
found with his spell book in his mushroom, concocting potions to protect his Smurfs
from the evil wizard, Gargamel. When Papa’s magic foretells of impending disaster, he
faces his biggest challenge yet: going toe-to-toe with Gargamel and leading the Smurfs
safely through New York City!
Comedy legend Jonathan Winters gives voice to Papa. “Papa is older and wiser. If
Papa doesn’t have all the answers, he certainly has most of them,” says Winters.
“Papa is the leader, but he leads in a way that it’s all about teamwork,” Winters explains.
“With Papa in charge, no Smurf is left behind.”
Winters has a history with the franchise: he had been the voice of Grandpa Smurf in the
Hanna-Barbera series.
There’s something special about SMURFETTE. Whether it’s her beauty, sweet voice,
charming personality, or just the fact that she is the ONLY girl among 100 boys, she just
makes the other Smurfs go absolutely gaga. Originally created by Gargamel to trap the
other Smurfs, Papa’s magic saved her and transformed her into a real Smurf. With a
smart, savvy attitude, she’ll prove what a pint-sized punch she has when she comes
face to face with her creator.
As it happens, the filmmakers set their heart on Katy Perry for the role even before she
spoke a single line of dialogue. “They had done a blind test where they took certain
voices from previous interviews and matched them with the character,” Katy explains.
“They liked my voice without even knowing who it was, and when they found out it was
me, they thought that would work out. My personality was just a plus!”
Katy found an affinity with the character she plays. “They asked me to add my nuance
to it – so I was able to be sassy and cute, a little mischievous and funny,” she says. “It’s
really interesting, because I got to be a part of creating her character. It’s really fun –
it’s basically my voice with some rocks thrown in it, like I had too many cups of coffee.”
Katy says that making the transition from world-famous recording artist to voiceover
actress was an organic next step. “I use my voice every single day,” she explains, “and
I feel very cartoony at times, just in the way I present myself. So It was a natural
progression – something natural for me to do.”
If it wasn’t for bad luck, CLUMSY wouldn’t have any luck at all – wherever he goes,
calamity is sure to follow. With two left feet and an oversized hat and ears, Clumsy’s
good intentions pave the road for trouble – and this time the road he chooses leads the
Smurfs into a strange new place, New York City. But everyone has a hero inside of
him, and when his other Smurfs need him, Clumsy will prove that you can be more than
a name.
Anton Yelchin’s performance as Clumsy is a little different than the Clumsy that diehard Smurf fans might remember. “I was familiar with Clumsy from the TV series,
where he had that Southern twang,” he says. “I went back and watched that, and then
Raja, Jordan and I talked about it. We decided to make Clumsy a little simpler, a little
sweeter. His voice is pitched higher than my normal speaking voice – it’s full of joy,
optimism, and enthusiasm for life. Clumsy isn’t trying to mess anything up for anybody
– he’s just clumsy, and actually, he’s tired of being clumsy.”
“Clumsy is the heart and soul of the movie,” says Gosnell. “His journey is the most
emotional. He’s kind of the put-upon younger brother – in a way, the cause of all their
problems – trying to find his place in the big Smurf family. Anton has an incredibly
youthful, soulful voice, perfect for our little Clumsy.”
If every village has its idiot, every village also has a BRAINY. Overeager and a bit overeducated, he’s a “know-it-all” who really doesn’t know it all. Brainy is Papa’s selfappointed right-hand Smurf, and even if he’s annoying at times with his encyclopedialike knowledge, he might just be the Smurf you want to cast a spell when Papa’s not
around.
Fred Armisen, best known for his “Saturday Night Live” characters, including President
Obama, says Gosnell and Kerner made ideal collaborators. “They had a strong vision
in mind for the character,” says Armisen. “It’s always a good thing to be working with
people who care deeply about what they’re doing.”
Being a regular on “Saturday Night Live” surely puts Armisen around celebrities often
enough. So who gets him star-struck? “Jonathan Winters,” says the funnyman. “I was
really psyched to meet him. My whole life, I’ve seen him on TV – he was really cool.”
Easily distinguished by his kilt, roguish sideburns, rugged good looks and Scottish
accent, GUTSY has the bravado to take any risk. A guy who Smurfs first and asks
questions later, he’s quick to jump headlong into adventure for his fellow Smurfs.
“I felt very proud to be the Scottish Smurf,” says Scotsman Alan Cumming. “It was a
good and humorous responsibility – that I would be representing all my nation’s Smurf
qualities.”
Cumming was even able to bring some Scottish slang to the part: “One word I started to
use was ‘numpty’ – it means ‘idiot,’ like ‘you stupid numpty, you big numpty.’ I am
singlehandedly reintroducing numpty – not just to the English language, but to the
world.”
Gutsy was created for his role in The Smurfs. “He’s our action hero,” says Gosnell.
“He’s eternally optimistic and brave, our rough and ready guy, the first to charge into
any situation.”
Cumming has been known to “work blue” – that is, get a little risqué – in his films for
adults, but this is his first time being blue on screen, in a role suitable for the whole
family. “It’s fun to do a part that’s light, just a laugh,” Cumming says. “My niece and
nephews are older now but they used to love it, like when I was in Spy Kids.”
Cumming says that voice acting represents a unique opportunity for the actor. “It’s so
important, because your voice is the only human element in the character. When you
start, there’s no film, no animation, and only your voice to guide the character. I quite
enjoyed that,” he notes. “As you’re creating the character, you get to try out different
ideas. Gutsy came fairly quickly – he’s Scottish, but a gruffer kind of Scottish than my
usual speaking voice. As you go on, you get into a groove and you find the character.”
Though they recorded their roles separately, voicing a Smurf became a sort of badge of
honor for the actors. “I met Katy Perry at a party, and it was funny to be able to meet
someone and say, ‘Oh, you’re Smurfette,’ and she goes, ‘Oh, you’re Gutsy.’”
Before you think that every Smurf is all about happiness, sunshine, and rainbows, you
need to meet GROUCHY. He smurfs up on the wrong side of the bed……every day.
He hates sunshine, rainbows make him sick, and happiness makes him unhappy.
However, somewhere underneath all the scowling and grouching is a heart of
gold….although, he probably hates gold too.
“The Smurfs is a worldwide franchise – they’re los Pitufos in Spanish – so I saw the
Smurfs bilingually, when I was growing up,” says George Lopez.
Lopez says he simply dialed his own inner crank up to 11 to play the role. “I had no
coffee, I picked the busiest time to get to the studio, I made sure I had bad breath. And
I have a daughter, she’s 15, and that’ll keep you grouchy all by itself. When I first saw
Grouchy, he had his arms crossed, eyebrows down, and I thought it was just a bluish
resemblance to how I normally look.”
Lopez has voiced several roles in films, and for The Smurfs, he re-teams with director
Raja Gosnell (following their collaboration on Beverly Hills Chihuahua). “In doing voice
work, I think the soul comes through,” says Lopez. Like any on-camera role, the part is
not only the words on the page supplied by the writers, but, as Lopez puts it, “the way
you interpret it, as you would speak to somebody. You’re not just reading a script –
you’re connecting with the audience.”
KNOW YOUR ENEMY: GARGAMEL
If ugly had a name, it would be GARGAMEL. And if obsession had a face, it would look
like Gargamel. This evil wizard is consumed by all things Smurfs: they’re all he thinks
about, all he talks about, and all he’s ever wanted. A zero when it comes to magic and a
negative 100 in the hygiene department, Gargamel is nevertheless always scheming up
convoluted ways to capture the fabled Smurfs and drain them of their “essence” – the
key ingredient in creating the most powerful spells! Gargamel will do anything to
capture a Smurf, including chase them into New York City, all in order to become the
most powerful wizard in the world!
Hank Azaria takes on the role of the wannabe wizard. “Gargamel is evil and pretty
proud of it,” says Azaria. “He aspires to make the move from an awful wizard to a great
one. That’s why he is obsessed with Smurfs – he needs their magical blue essence to
make himself more powerful.”
But Gargamel’s relationship to the Smurfs isn’t explained quite that easily. “I think he
just hates the Smurfs – they’re such a happy family and he’s so alone with only his cat.
He’s driven by just plain-old hate. He’s a pretty juicy character on so many levels.”
Settling on Gargamel’s vocal characteristics required a mix of different approaches.
“Gargamel’s very theatrical – not only does he want to be a great wizard, he wants to be
worshipped and considered a genius. He wants all that good press,” says Azaria. “We
had a long discussion about whether he should sound Shakespearean and selfimportant, as if he was an old stage actor, or if we should make him more sarcastic
instead of yelling all the time. In the end, you can’t play Gargamel without screaming
your head off. It just can’t happen. The second you see a Smurf you have to lose your
mind, or you’re not Gargamel.”
Of course, it wasn’t enough for Azaria to sound ugly – he’d have to look the part as well.
Getting properly uglied up required hours in the make-up chair for Azaria. “It starts with
the ears,” he explains. “Gargamel has big old ears and a big old nose and there’s a lot
of painting that goes on to make it all even.”
Then comes the hair – though Azaria was able to make that process an easier
experience by shaving his head. “They apply Gargamel’s strange monkish hair, and
then the eyebrows come on and then I pop in some big, weird buck teeth.”
Those big teeth sometimes went flying out of Azaria’s mouth during a scene. “They
were hard at first,” he says. “It literally took practice to talk with them. And they did
occasionally fly out of my mouth in the middle of particularly screamy takes.”
Gargamel’s partner in crime is Azrael, his cat. And Azaria discovered that he had to not
only figure out the relationship as characters in the story, but as live actors, working with
a real cat, as well. “I wanted to make the relationship with the cat like a bickering
married couple,” says Azaria. “If you’re talking to the cat, it makes sense. And if the cat
has a sort of bored attitude about it, it’s even funnier.
Four cats would play the role, and in certain scenes, the filmmakers chose to employ a
CG-animated Azrael (animated by Tippett Studios). Azaria says that though working
with live animals always requires patience, the payoff is easily worth the effort. And
sometimes, feline fate smiles on the production. “The real cat would actually give us the
perfect meow on cue,” he says.
OUR WORLD
When Gargamel and the Smurfs come through the portal and into New York City, they
enter the lives of Patrick Winslow and his wife Grace.
PATRICK WINSLOW is a young marketing executive for the New York City based
cosmetics company Anjelou and is months away from starting his own family. He’s a
nervous wreck about everything – not least of which is his impending fatherhood and his
new job – and his nerves are going to take a beating when the Smurfs suddenly fall into
his life!
Neil Patrick Harris plays the role. “Patrick is married with a child on the way – he’s an
ad exec guy trying to make it in the business world, and he’s constantly in fear of losing
his job. So he’s sort of in the very business-headed frame of mind, and that has both
him and his wife a little concerned that he’s not going to be a decent parent, or even be
present for the birth of their child – not only physically, but emotionally.
“When the Smurfs come into his life, he has to behave in a very patient, even parental
way with them, and when he does that, he realizes the potential to be a great dad that
he has inside,” says Harris. “Grace is a more naturally maternal giver of wisdom to the
Smurfs, while Patrick is an accidental participant who sees growth and change.”
Working with director Raja Gosnell was both a satisfying and enlightening experience
for Harris. “Raj did a great job – he had to deal with so many weird little things
happening all at the same time. Not only do you have all the ordinary stuff – making
sure the actors hit their marks and it’s all lit correctly – but you might have an animal in
the scene, or maybe bowls on monofilament that in the final shot the Smurfs will be
carrying around… Raj had to keep it all in his head so that when you see the movie, you
never think about any of that – it’s just that the Smurfs are part of our world.”
“Not only is Neil incredibly funny and charming, but he also delivered nuance to the
role,” says Gosnell. “His character and Papa have a few quiet moments together, and
he makes those scenes surprisingly emotional. And when you remember that Neil was
talking to a little wire when he filmed it, it’s an indication that Neil is also very game. A
large part of acting is responding to your fellow actors, so it’s incredibly difficult to work
opposite characters that aren’t there. But Neil jumped on it and embraced it.”
GRACE WINSLOW is a craft-furniture artist and Patrick’s loving, supportive, 5-month
pregnant wife. Her husband is a little rattled, what with the new baby, the new job, and
the six mythical creatures that turn his life upside down… but the optimistic Grace will
always be there to straighten him out.
Jayma Mays, who plays Grace, had watched the cartoons growing up – maybe a little
unwillingly. “My mom loved them, so she made me watch them with her,” laughs Mays.
“Just to get under her skin, I would always tell her that my favorites were Gargamel and
Azrael! We had the sheets, we had the Smurfs glasses, the sippy cups, all that stuff.
But secretly, I was a fan – I loved the show – but I was at an age that I couldn’t admit
that I liked something that my mom wanted me to like.”
“For Grace it’s so exciting that these little creatures have come into her world and her
life,” Mays explains. “She loves them and she loves their spontaneity and carefree
outlook on life – she enjoys her own life being thrown into the air a bit. That’s
something she’s trying to convince Patrick – it’s okay to have fun and it’s okay to be
disrupted in your life. And since they’re about to have a child, everything’s going to be a
bit disrupted for a while – and the Smurfs help him get ready for that.”
Gosnell says that Grace is a surprisingly tricky role. “You have to be both funny and
emotional,” says Gosnell. “She was the only actress who made us believe both sides –
her comedic skills are just fantastic, and she also had the enthusiasm and excitement
that made us believe what we were watching was real.”
ODILE is the tough, beautiful and determined owner of the global cosmetics company,
Anjelou. She’s quick-tempered, even quicker to change her mind – and becomes a
force of anxiety in Patrick’s life when she promotes him to head a new marketing
campaign for a new product… that launches in just two days. This diva CEO will do
anything to ensure her company’s success, even invest a little time in a misguided
wizard who might just have the key for the next big skin care revolution.
As Odile, Sofia Vergara sought to draw a balance in her character, so as not to go over
the top. “I wanted Odile to be believable, but also funny, strong and very focused on
what she wants,” says Vergara. “This is a woman who is really into what she does and
she makes everybody around her know it.”
Growing up in Colombia in the 1980s, Vergara says, “Everybody would watch the
Smurfs. Even my son, who is 19 now, enjoyed the Smurfs when he was young.”
“Project Runway’s” Tim Gunn takes on the role of Odile’s right hand man. HENRI is
Odile’s fashion-forward and quick-witted lieutenant who is always eager to stir the pot –
especially when it comes to Patrick! (The character was originally named Henry until
Neil Patrick Harris turned him into the sophisticated Henri.)
Gunn stole the show behind the scenes. Costume designer Rita Ryack remembers,
“Tim asked to keep his wardrobe upon wrap, as he hoped to wear the items on the next
season of ‘Project Runway.’ I was thrilled. He even went so far as to refrain from sitting
in his chair while on set – he didn’t want to wrinkle his suit!” Now that is a true
fashionista.
The Smurfs also features cameos that make up a veritable Who’s Who of contemporary
New York City’s most iconic personalities. For one scene in particular, an Anjelou
cosmetics product launch, it was essential to make the party the must-attend New York
event. Among the attendees were Joan Rivers, Liz Smith, Tom Colicchio, Olivia
Palermo and Michael Musto. Each of them arrived in their own wardrobe in order to
make them appear authentically themselves. Rivers, in particular, was a huge crew
favorite – when she arrived early for her call time, production scrambled to find her the
perfect trailer. Executive producer Ezra Swerdlow was thrilled to share his space with
the comedy legend.
FROM SMURF VILLAGE TO NEW YORK CITY
Until this theatrical motion picture, the Smurfs had only been represented in two
dimensions. Taking them into a dimensional, CG-animated space, and in 3D stereo no
less, was the major challenge for the filmmakers.
It began on set, where the director of photography, Phil Méheux, and the film’s
production designer, Bill Boes, coordinated efforts with visual effects supervisor Richard
R. Hoover, SPI senior animation supervisor Troy Saliba, and SPI senior VFX producer
Lydia Bottegoni of Sony Pictures Imageworks to build sets, light them, and shoot the
film in such a way that the three-apple-high stars could be added later. 3D visual
effects supervisor Rob Engle was also on hand to ensure that it would all come to life in
3D.
“There were an awful lot of moving parts on this movie,” says Gosnell. “Basic Directing
101 is about moving your characters around, how you stage a scene. On this movie,
we had to stage scenes in which six characters weren’t there. The actors would have to
interact with nothing, and sometimes the camera would move, following nothing. My
biggest job as a director was to keep the eye on the prize – how to keep everyone
moving toward the same goal. Everyone embraced the fun and the challenge of the
project, and by mid-movie, we were flying.”
Boes’ team was responsible for the film’s physical sets, including Grace and Patrick’s
New York apartment, a two-thirds replica of Belvedere Castle, and Gargamel’s dungeon
in the Castle. There isn’t really a dungeon under the castle, so the filmmakers built their
dream dungeon on a soundstage.
The centerpiece of Gargamel’s dungeon is the Smurfalator – the machine that will
extract the Smurfs’ essence (if Gargamel ever actually succeeds in catching a Smurf).
“He doesn’t have anything, so he makes the Smurfalator out of found items,” explains
Boes.
For the climactic battle sequence, Boes says, “The castle has a couple different levels.
Raja and I wanted to have Gargamel land on one level and then come down and battle
the Smurfs. It’s like an assault on the castle, with Smurfs coming from every direction to
battle Gargamel, who’s in the middle. It had to feel like a medieval battle.”
Lighting and shooting Boes’ sets was a huge challenge for Méheux, as six of the film’s
stars existed only in the mind (and, later, the computer). “Because, obviously, the
Smurfs weren’t actually there when we were shooting, it took an immense amount of
concentration to imagine what they were doing and how they were doing it,” says
Méheux. “We had to decide what sort of lights should be on them and how the camera
should move.” And it wasn’t just a matter of figuring it out once. “The Smurfs get into all
sorts of fixes and all sorts of different situations: day and night, inside and outside.” All
of that made for an interesting film photographically, but set a high bar.
To help him light the Smurfs’ (and their animators’) way, Méheux and his team used
“life-size” (that is, 7½-inch tall) models to stand in for the Smurfs during set-up and
rehearsal. “We can then position the light so that it falls right. The actors know where
the Smurf will be when it is animated later, so their eyelines will match. Then we can
take out the model and shoot the scene, and they look quite real, fitting the real backing
that we’re giving them. It looks like they’re part of the surroundings.” During this
process, the Imageworks visual effects team employed a new camera system to
precisely record the on-set lighting, to be applied later in the computer.
One curious effect of putting 7½-inch tall characters in a real-life world is that shooting
from those characters’ perspective makes you see the world in an entirely different way.
“In most films, the ceiling hardly ever appears. But if you lie on the floor and look up,
you’ll get a good idea of what it’s like to be a Smurf: everyone is very tall and you
always see the ceiling.” To help create Smurf-o-vision, the filmmakers built a periscopelike device that gives the eye a three-apple-high perspective.
With the film in the can, the baton was passed to Hoover, Saliba, and Bottegoni. During
months of pre-production, Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks artists developed
design considerations, explored concepts, and built 3D models necessary to shoot the
live-action scenes and prepare Peyo’s simply drawn characters to convincingly interact
in and with a live-action world. The Sony in-house artists produced a test sequence
combining the CG Smurf and live action. This test validated the concept and the
transformation of the Smurfs to CG, its impressive visuals earning the project its
greenlight. Whereupon visual development artist and character designer Allen Battino
modified the initial work to reach the final re-design.
Most people know the Smurfs either from Peyo’s drawings or from the 1980s television
series, Battino says; these character designs are very different from each other, and
neither would work for the feature film. “Peyo’s designs are beautiful – there are
straight lines and curves, and the composition of every panel in his books is gorgeous.
But the forms and features are also exaggerated” – for example, if a Smurf needs to
hold something over his head, Peyo could simply stretch his arms. By contrast, the
Smurfs of the television series were designed to accommodate the fast production
schedule of television animation. “We had to come up with a design that was toned
down, but still Smurfy,” Battino continues.
Re-designing the Smurfs to work in a 3D world and coming up with all-new designs for
the new characters took months, but the result pleased everyone, from the filmmakers
to Peyo’s family.
Perhaps the biggest change came in making it seem as if the characters had flesh and
bone, a real anatomy. As Bottegoni, SPI’s senior VFX producer, puts it, “The big
challenge on this movie is translating historically 2D cartoon characters into a
dimensionalized world.”
“When you watch this movie, you have different expectations for the characters,”
Hoover adds. “In making something look real and believable, there are a lot of
considerations to make. There is the personality of the character, how they walk and
move. You have to think about their physics and their weight and how skin reflects
light.”
Most important, perhaps, was acting performance of the characters. “There’s a level of
sincerity and naturalism that Raja really wanted to see,” says Saliba. “So that was the
challenge: keep the characters cartoony - they are the characters everyone knows - but
have them perform just as convincingly as the actors do.”
“The most important thing was that the characters had heart – that they were capable of
giving as good a performance as any of the live-action actors,” says Battino, the
character re-designer. “That was the only way for the audience to relate to them, to
care about what happens to them.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the work the animators did - combined with the voice actors,
they gave these little guys souls,” says Gosnell.
Hoover explains that art of helping to convince the viewer that the Smurfs really could
become part of our world is in pushing the texture of their skin. Even if it’s blue, he
says, texture can tell you that Smurfs and humans aren’t all that different after all. “Your
eye perceives texture based on how the light plays on the surface. It tells you a lot
about what things are made out of and what’s inside them. Our Smurfs have pores, and
freckles, and peach fuzz on their faces. Obviously, Papa Smurf has facial hair,
Smurfette’s got a big head of hair. We use all those things to describe the character
and make you believe that they’re real.”
Still, the Smurfs stand on their own as a species. “Humans are, proportionally, sevento-nine heads high. The Smurfs are about two-and-a-half heads tall. They have
incredibly big feet – as long as, or longer, than their legs. If you were a Smurf, your
head would be three feet wide and your hands would be the size of baseball mitts.
What that meant was that we had to come up with their own Smurfy way of moving –
since they don’t have the proportions of a human being, they couldn’t move like a
human being, either.”
As an example, Saliba, the animation supervisor, cites a scene in which the Smurfs
outrun Gargamel. “These characters are only 7½ inches tall. How can they outrun a
six-foot man?” Saliba asks. “What we worked out was that with their big feet, they are
able to springboard themselves and move faster. Raja found some internet reference of
somebody that had strapped on a pair of giant spring shoes, and that worked for us.
We could get our Smurfs moving just over ten feet a second. In a full-out run, Gargamel
would catch them, but in short little sprints, it’s believable that a Smurf could make an
escape. Not to mention that they could use their size to dodge and weave between
smaller obstacles that a person couldn’t.”
Hoover and Saliba were also on set, helping Méheux and the actors perceive where the
Smurfs would be and what they would be doing once the animation was completed.
“You try to give the actors as much information as possible about the story, about how
they behave, where they are, their eye lines. We use all kinds of little tricks for that,
whether it’s little dots on the table or wire outlines of their face,” says Hoover. “Then the
actors have a better idea, in three-dimensional space, exactly where they are and when
they’re looking in the right spot. It’s really important to the audience that the actors and
animated characters are looking each other in the eye like they’re actually talking to
them. We had little models of all the Smurf characters that we use to act out scenes and
we had voice actors on the set that read the lines of the characters so the actors and
director can hear them, because all that leads up to the pacing of the scene.”
“We had little silicone versions of our characters, with wire frames that we could pose,”
says Saliba. “We’d block out the scene so Phil could light it at Smurf level, then we
would bring in the actor and rehearse it three or four times, literally acting it out with me
puppeteering the Smurfs, so they would get used to where the Smurfs were going to be.
And then once everyone was comfortable, we shot it without the Smurf in there.”
Saliba notes that the animation process is incredibly technical – involving digital maps of
the set, including set dressing, and even digital models of the live-action actors, all of
which gets mapped frame-by-frame to the scene that was actually shot, all before the
Smurf can be put into the scene and animated. That said, even as all of those technical
details are sorted through, the animators also have to keep a close eye on the creative
aspects. “We’re asking ourselves, How is the sequence meant to flow? Where are the
gags supposed to come? When to the emotional beats happen? The animation
process needs the sort of person who can handle the technical aspect but also has a
good creative sensibility.”
The animators’ creativity as they performed the Smurfs also helped solve a tricky
technical problem: when watching a wide shot, audiences would have to immediately
identify each of the six Smurfs. Some of these, like Papa (white beard, red clothes) or
Smurfette (blonde mane) would be striking, but, as Gosnell notes, “Grouchy and Clumsy
have no identifying prop or feature.” Clumsy does look a little different from Grouchy –
his ears and feet are a little bigger, his hat his a little droopier – “but it’s also a
performance thing,” says the director. “How does the character stand? What is his
body attitude?” In that way, the animators not only had to be talented artists, but
talented actors, bringing out these subtle differences.
The visual effects team also had the honor of translating production designer Bill Boes’
elaborate designs for the magical Smurf Village into a CG-animated space. “We tried a
lot of different design concepts to come up with the Smurf village,” Boes says. But we
ended up with basically what everybody knows, yet in a realistic way. It took a lot of trial
and error to get it right.”
It turns out that it takes a village to make a village. “I had a whole army of artists,” he
adds, “and we just tried different things. For instance, with the mushroom shaped
houses, we tried thick ones and squat ones, long ones and ones with chimneys. We
started to come up with a visual language of what the mushroom houses should look
like. Originally we designed them to be real mushrooms that they lived in. But when we
got a little further in the research we realized that in Peyo’s stories, the Smurfs actually
built their houses to look like mushrooms.”
To complete the transformation of the Smurfs from the 2D page to a fully realized, 3D
world, Rob Engle, the film’s 3D visual effects supervisor, describes his role this way:
“My job is to make sure that when people put on their 3D glasses in the theater and
experience the world of the movie, it’s a consistent, immersive, and fun experience.”
Because the Smurf village and the Smurfs exist entirely within the computer, these
elements are fully realized in 3D. “The way Raja shot the movie, we had great flexibility
in how we used the 3D,” says Engle. “We could render the CG worlds, and then, for the
scenes in which we’re integrating the Smurfs into our live-action world, we could use a
hybrid technique where we add dimension to the plate. For example, you could see
Neil Patrick Harris in the plate with some background, and we would add dimension to
that world and put the Smurf into that, in 3D.
“That hybrid technique gives us great flexibility in terms of the ultimate 3D experience,”
Engle continues. “We treat 3D as you’d treat sound. You’d never have the sound at ten
all the way through; you would play the dynamic range of the sound through the film.
And we like to play with the 3D the same way, finding the quiet moments and the loud
moments, if you will.”
“The most important thing to Raja and Jordan was that we connect with the Smurfs –
that we feel like we are with them and they are in our world,” Engle concludes. “That’s
the great thing about a stereoscopic 3D film – you automatically feel more connected to
the characters. Ultimately, what we’re doing is taking the DP’s camera angles and the
director’s performance choices and we add that extra level of connection for the
audience.”
SMURFS FUN FACTS
About Production
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The Smurfs are three apples high, and during rehearsals, each was represented
by a “life size” maquette – 7½” tall
When it came time to film, each Smurf would be represented by a different
colored dot – the actors would have to remember which dot was which Smurf
One scene called for Gargamel to take an egg to the face. After other crew
members tried and missed, it fell to director Raja Gosnell to do the job
Gargamel’s make-up test took three hours, but by mid-production, the
transformation took approximately 90 minutes. Hank Azaria decided early on to
shave his head in order to make the transformation quicker
Azaria was transformed into Gargamel over 50 times and spent approximately
130 hours in the make-up chair; he would listen to classic rock during the
process
Tim Gunn, who of course had a chair on set, rarely opted to sit in it as he didn’t
want to wrinkle his suit
Production shot all night – five nights in a row – at the famed toy store FAO
Schwartz; almost every inch of the store was shot
The Smurfalator took approximately three months to build, because many parts
for the elaborate contraption were so hard to find. The production team
eventually tracked down items at garage sales, flea markets, on ebay and Craig’s
List
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Two voice actors were on hand to voice the six featured Smurfs during
production, so the actors had dialogue to work against. (The actors who voiced
the Smurfs were also featured in the Times Square sequence with Gargamel.)
Odile’s (Sofia Vergara) wardrobe consisted of pieces from Dior, Dolce &
Gabanna and Christian Louboutin
The Belvedere Castle set was built as an exact replica of the real castle in
Central Park and is 2/3 the size of the actual castle. The only thing production
modified was the floor – they added wooden grates to create additional contrast
During Neal Patrick Harris’ first scene with Tim Gunn, he decided he couldn’t call
him by his character’s original name – “Henry” – so Harris renamed the
character “Henri”
Harris ate a blue piece of candy and without realizing his mouth had turned blue,
began a scene – he immediately had to wash out his mouth
During the filming of the taxi scene, Azaria broke the back window of the cab with
his Gargamel ring when he ran into it
Animals on Set
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4 basset hounds portrayed Elway – Hank, Milo, Oleander and Ziggy. Two were
rescue dogs
Six cats were on set to portray Azrael, but only four ended up working. One cat
has only one scene, in which Azrael “licks his bum”
The cats’ real names are Mr. Krinkle, Vino, Cheetoh, Blaze. and FG: The Riddler
(short for Frank Gorshin)
Animal trainer Larry Madrid had a rare Burma cat on location, named GusGus.
The trainer would use him to elicit snarls from the other cats – they didn’t like him
Azaria enjoyed working with the cats, and even said it was great to have a live
prop to talk to
About the Cast and Crew
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Azaria’s son, Hal, turned one year old during production and would often come
watch his daddy work
Costume Designer Rita Ryack made an exact replica of Gargamel’s costume for
Hal
Neil Patrick Harris’ favorite Smurf is Grouchy
Jayma Mays’ favorite is Smurfette
Sofia Vergara was a huge Smurfs fan in her native Colombia
Harris would play with the maquettes, much to the delight of the crew. He would
make them play fight, kiss, and jump around
Azaria likens Gargamel & Azrael’s relationship to a marriage, as they have such
a tight bond
Mays really did grow up on the Smurfs – her mother has been a fan and collector
Jayma’s whole life
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The Art Department created a contraption called Smurf-o-Vision, which allowed
the user to see at Smurf level
Tim Gunn was so impressed with his wardrobe, that production let him keep it
and he plans to wear them on next season’s ‘Project Runway’
About the Visual Effects
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There are 1,014 visual effects shots in the film
There are 1,557 3D stereo shots in the film
268 Sony Pictures Imageworks employees spent 358,000 hours animating the
Smurfs.
To complete the movie, the SPI computers required over 22,000,000 hours of
rendering time. Some single frames had enough VFX and animation work that it
could take many hours to render!
There are 115 “bones” in a Smurf skeleton.
There are 446 mushrooms in the Smurf village, and an additional 77 mushroom
houses, for a total of 523 shrooms.
Brainy is pushed, hit or kicked 25 times – but who’s counting?
About the Smurfs
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Peyo based the “Smurfberry” on a blueberry
Peyo drew Smurfette over 300 different ways & based her on his wife & daughter
There are 102 Smurfs in the village (100 male Smurfs, one Papa, and one
Smurfette). For this film, the Smurfs introduce three never-before-named
Smurfs:
o Crazy
o Gutsy
o Panicky
Smurfs build their mushroom homes, they are not grown
Smurfs are vegetarians
ABOUT THE CAST
Equally successful on stage and screen, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (Patrick) continues to
demonstrate his creative versatility.
He can currently be seen as the womanizing
Barney Stinson on the hit CBS comedy series, “How I Met Your Mother,” a role which
has garnered him four Emmy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a
People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor. Harris recently won his first two
Emmy Awards for his guest-starring turn on the critically-acclaimed series, "Glee," in
addition to his role as host of the 63rd Annual Tony Awards. In addition to hosting the
2009 Tony Awards, Harris also served as host and producer of both the 65 th Annual
Tony Awards and the 61st Annual Primetime Emmys.
Named one of the 2008
Entertainers of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, Harris was included on Time
Magazine's 2010 Time 100 List, an annual list of the world's leading thinkers, leaders,
artists, and heroes.
Harris gained notoriety on the small screen as the much-adored title character in
“Doogie Howser, M.D.,” a role which also garnered him a Golden Globe nomination.
Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, the television comedy-drama, which
ran for four seasons, told the story of a brilliant young doctor who faced the problems of
being a normal teenager. Harris’ additional television credits include the NBC comedy
series, “Stark Raving Mad,” opposite Tony Shalhoub, the CBS mini-series “Joan of Arc”
with Leelee Sobieski & Peter O’Toole, Showtime’s “The Man in the Attic,” the classic
TNT telefilm “Cold Sassy Tree,” opposite Faye Dunaway, “My Antonia” with Jason
Robards and Eva Marie Saint, “The Wedding Dress” with Tyne Daly, and CBS’s toprated telefilm of 2005, “The Christmas Blessing.” Harris has also made notable guest
appearances on such shows as "Glee," "Will & Grace," "Ed," "Sesame Street," and
"Boomtown."
As a result of the 2007-08 Writer’s Guild of America strike, Harris starred as the aspiring
supervillain and lovelorn title character in Joss Whedon’s Emmy award-winning webbased musical miniseries, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. The web series debuted atop
the iTunes television charts and has gone on to produce a subsequently successful
soundtrack. The musical sensation co-stars Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. Furthering
his appeal with the online community, Harris was also one of the leading cast members
of the all-star web-based hit, Prop 8: The Musical, co-starring alongside Jack Black,
John C. Reilly and Allison Janney. A veteran of the theater, Harris recently tackled the
leading role of Bobby in the New York Philharmonic’s concert production of Stephen
Sondheim’s “Company” at Lincoln Center.
The all-star production, co-starring Patti
LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, and Martha Plimpton, among
others, was also filmed for a planned theatrical release in movie theaters across the
country. Harris has starred in three Broadway productions, including the dual roles of
The Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in the Tony Award-winning musical Assassins. He
made his Broadway debut as Anne Heche’s unexpected suitor in the Pulitzer Prizewinning production of “Proof,” and later starred as the exuberant emcee in “Cabaret” at
Studio 54.
His additional theatrical credits include roles in the Geffen Playhouse
production of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” “The Paris Letter” at the Kirk Douglas
Theatre, “tick, tick…BOOM!” at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, “Romeo & Juliet” at
the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, the concert production of “Sweeney Todd” at
Lincoln Center in New York, and the Los Angeles production of “Rent,” which garnered
him a Drama Desk Award.
Utilizing his theatrical expertise behind the curtain and furthering his association with the
Pulitzer Prize-winning production, Harris made his musical directorial debut with the
Hollywood Bowl's recent staging of Jonathan Larson's “Rent,” starring Nicole
Scherzinger, Vanessa Hudgens, and Wayne Brady.
In July 2007, Harris made his
theatrical directing debut with the original comedic script, “I Am Grock,” at the El Portal
Theatre in North Hollywood, and he later mixed his love of magic and theatre in
directing “The Expert at the Card Table” at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Harris rounds out his accomplishments on stage and television with an equal measure
of success on the silver screen. In addition to The Smurfs, he will soon be seen in two
upcoming feature films – the independent comedy The Best & The Brightest, with Amy
Sedaris and Bonnie Somerville, and the third installment in the Harold & Kumar film
series, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. Harris most recently starred in CBS Films’
Beastly, a modern-day retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" tale, based on the novel
by Alex Finn, and co-starring Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, and Mary-Kate Olsen.
Harris’s feature film debut was a starring role opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the comingof-age drama, Clara’s Heart, for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination.
Additionally, Harris’ other film credits include roles in New Line Cinema’s cult comedy
films, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Harold & Kumar Go to
White Castle, Universal’s hit urban comedy, Undercover Brother, Paul Verhoeven’s
Starship Troopers, The Next Best Thing with Madonna and Rupert Everett, and The
Proposition with Madeline Stowe and Kenneth Branagh, among many others.
The
multi-talented Harris also enjoys a busy schedule in the world of voice-overs, most
recently voicing the character of Lou in Warner Bros. Pictures live-action/animatronic
sequel, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Harris can also be heard voicing
the character of Steve the Monkey in the Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia
Pictures’ box office sensation, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, based on the
beloved children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett.
In addition to his voice-over work in numerous animated series and features, including
“Batman: Under the Red Hood,” the CBS holiday special, “Yes, Virginia,” the recent
musical episode of “Batman: The Brave & The Bold” as The Music Meister, “Justice
League: The New Frontier” as Barry Allen/The Flash, and the top-rated MTV series,
“Spider-Man,” voicing both the title character and his alter ego Peter Parker, Harris can
be heard opposite Will Arnett in the D3 Productions video game, “Eat Lead: The Return
of Matt Hazard,” and in Activision’s “Spider Man: Shattered Dimensions.” His voice
work also includes creating character voices for numerous books on tape, including
Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, Slake’s Limbo, Ribsy, Lump of Coal, A Very Marley
Christmas and the award-winning children’s book, Henry Huggins.
JAYMA MAYS (Grace) may currently be seen on “Glee” as the germophobic guidance
counselor Emma Pillsbury; as part of that show’s acting ensemble, Mays has been
nominated for two SAG Awards, winning one. Mays also recently had a recurring role
on the last season of NBC’s “Heroes.”
On the big screen, she was recently seen as the female lead opposite Kevin James in
the smash hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Mays’ other film credits include Red Eye, Flags of
Our Fathers, and Epic Movie. On television, Mays has been seen in multiple episodes
of “Ugly Betty,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Heroes,” and “Six Feet Under.”
SOFIA VERGARA (Odile) is the only Hispanic actress who started her career in a U.S.
Hispanic Network and successfully crossed over to the general market.
The Emmy nominated actress can currently be seen as one of the leads in the #1
comedy show in America, ABC’s “Modern Family.” Her past appearances on primetime
TV include “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Entourage,” “Hot Properties,” and “The Knights of
Prosperity,” among many others.
She also recently lent her voice to the Warner Bros. picture Happy Feet 2 alongside
Robin Williams, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. The film is slated for release on November
18th, 2011. Vergara most recently debuted in the Broadway production of “Chicago”
as Mama Morton.
On the big screen, Vergara’s film credits include Big Trouble, The 24th Day, Four
Brothers, Lords Of Dogtown, and Tyler Perry’s box office sensations Meet The Browns
and Madea Goes To Jail.
In the Hispanic market some of her past TV credits include “Fuera de Serie” and “A
Que No Te Atreves” as well as her special guest appearance on 2008’s highest rated
Spanish language soap opera “Fuego en la Sangre” on Univision (#1 U.S. Hispanic
network). Additionally she executive produced the Spanish version of “Desperate
Housewives.”
Sofia currently is the only spokesperson for Cadillac in both English and Spanish. She
has been selected as one of this year’s Faces To Watch by The New York Times for
her role in “Modern Family.” The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard have also named
her one of the most talented and powerful women in Hispanic entertainment.
In 2001, Vergara created Peace and Hope for the Children of Colombia, a charity
foundation that has helped thousands of children in her country and has donated a
pediatric cancer pavilion in her native Barranquilla.
Vergara resides in LA with her son, Monolo.
Tony Award nominee and four-time Emmy Award winner, HANK AZARIA (Gargamel)
is a multifaceted performer in film, television and on the stage, as well as a respected
director and comedian.
Azaria will next star in NBC’s new show “Free Agents” opposite Kathryn Hahn. The
show is a romantic comedy, based on the UK series of the same name and explores
the attraction between two PR executives working together who are both on the
rebound. It will air on Wednesday nights at 8:30pm.
He was most recently heard in the animated box office hit Hop and will next lend his
voice to Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet 2 in 3D, scheduled for release on November 18,
2011.
Most recently, Azaria appeared in the film Love and Other Drugs, opposite Jake
Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, and in Year One, opposite Jack Black and Michael
Cera. He also starred in the box-office hit Night at the Museum: Battle of the
Smithsonian, which grossed more than $415 million worldwide.
In 1997, Azaria played the scene-stealing Guatemalan housekeeper Agador Spartacus
in Mike Nichols’ The Birdcage. The role catapulted Azaria’s film career and earned him
a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a
Male Actor in a Supporting Role, and he shared a win for Outstanding Performance by
a Cast with the film’s ensemble. He had previously won critical acclaim as television
producer Albert Freedman in the 1994 Academy Award®-nominated film Quiz Show.
Some of Azaria’s notable film credits include Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla; the 1998
adaptation of Great Expectations, opposite Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow; Tim
Robbins’ Cradle Will Rock; Woody Allen’s Celebrity; America’s Sweethearts, with Julia
Roberts and Billy Crystal; and Shattered Glass, with Peter Sarsgaard and Hayden
Christensen. His additional film credits include Along Came Polly, Dodgeball: A True
Underdog Story, Grosse Pointe Blank, Heat, Now and Then and Pretty Woman.
Azaria is also well known for his portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Craig “Huff” Huffstodt on
the critically acclaimed Showtime series “Huff.” The show ran for two seasons, from
2004 to 2006, and garnered seven Emmy nominations in 2005, including a nomination
for Azaria for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He earned a SAG Award
nomination that same year. Azaria served as an executive producer on the series and
directed an episode during the show’s second season. He also earned Emmy Award
nominations for his notable recurring guest-starring roles on “Friends” and “Mad About
You.”
In 1999, Azaria starred as Mitch Albom, alongside the legendary Jack Lemmon, in the
television film “Tuesdays With Morrie,” and took home the Emmy Award for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. His other made-for-television
films include the Jon Avnet-directed “Uprising” and the 2005 film “Fail Safe,” directed
by Stephen Frears.
As a vocal artist, Azaria is noted and highly regarded as one of the best, with more
than 20 years as one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series
“The Simpsons.” Azaria brings to life a list of characters too numerous to mention,
though he may be best known as the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu, Police Chief
Wiggum and Comic Book Guy. He has been nominated for five Emmy Awards and has
won three for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work on “The Simpsons,”
and he brought many of his beloved characters to the big screen in 2007’s The
Simpsons Movie. His additional voice-over work includes multiple appearances as
Venom/Eddie Brock, from 1994 to 1996, on the animated series “Spider-Man,” and as
Bartok in the animated feature Anastasia.
In the theater, Azaria has appeared in several productions including a 2003 production
of David Mamet’s “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” opposite Matthew Perry and Minnie
Driver, on London’s West End. In 2005, Azaria originated the role of Sir Lancelot in
“Spamalot,” the musical-comedy adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The
show was a huge success and earned 14 Tony Award nominations, including one for
Azaria for Best Actor in a Musical. In 2007, he returned to Broadway and starred as
RCA head David Sarnoff in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Farnsworth Invention.”
As a filmmaker, Azaria wrote, directed and produced the 2004 short film Nobody’s
Perfect, which won the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Short at the U.S. Comedy
Arts Festival and the award for Best Narrative Short at the Ojai Film Festival.
ABOUT THE VOICE CAST
ANTON YELCHIN (Clumsy Smurf) is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising young stars.
With his highly acclaimed performances in Charlie Bartlett, The Beaver, Star Trek, and
a slew of starring roles in major film roles this year, Yelchin is quickly becoming a
household name.
Yelchin can currently be seen on the big screen in The Beaver. The film co-stars Mel
Gibson and Jodie Foster, who also directed. The script, written by Kyle Killen, topped
the Blacklist in December 2009.
Yelchin will be back on the big screen again later this summer starring in the
Disney/Dreamworks thriller Fright Night. Yelchin stars opposite Colin Farrell and Toni
Collette. Fright Night will be released in 3D August 19, 2011.
Later this fall, Yelchin will return to the big screen in the critically acclaimed film Like
Crazy, which premiered at Sundance in January 2011 to rave reviews and took home
the Grand Jury Prize. Like Crazy will be released on October 28, 2011.
Yelchin recently began filming Odd Thomas, in which Yelchin plays the title role,
starring alongside Willem Dafoe, Addison Timlin and Patton Oswalt. The film is set to
be released in 2012.
Yelchin’s past projects include his role in the film New York, I Love You; Terminator:
Salvation, which grossed $370 million worldwide; Star Trek, which grossed $383 million
worldwide; Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesia; Middle of Nowhere; Charlie Bartlett; Alpha
Dog; Hearts in Atlantis, for which he received a Young Artist Award for Best
Performance in a Feature Film-Leading Young Actor, Fierce People, House of D, and
You and I. Yelchin also received the “Explosive Talent Award” at the 2002 Giffoni Film
Festival in Italy.
Yelchin has appeared on some of television’s most critically acclaimed dramas. He
starred opposite Hank Azaria on the critically acclaimed Showtime series “Huff” for two
seasons. He also had guest-starring roles on “Criminal Minds” and “Law & Order:
Criminal Intent.”
Yelchin currently resides in Los Angeles.
JONATHAN WINTERS (Papa Smurf) began his career in show business in a talent
contest in his home town of Dayton, Ohio; he won a wristwatch, but the performance
led him to a job as an early morning disc-jockey on radio station WING in Dayton
(1946). This job led him to WBNS-TV in Columbus where he worked for three years.
In 1953, Winters headed for New York for the “big time” with $56.46 in his pocket.
Soon after, Winters made appearances on the television shows “Talent Scouts,” “The
Jack Paar Show,” “The Steve Allen Show,” and “The Tonight Show,” where he was
able to demonstrate his comic genius and become a top name in American comedy.
His many movies include It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, The Russians are Coming,
The Russians are Coming, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, The Midnight Oil, Eight on the Lam,
Viva Max, Penelope, The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh, Longshot, Say Yes, Moon Over
Parador, The Shadow, The Flintstones, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
On television, his countless credits include “The Colgate Comedy Hour,” “Omnibus,”
“The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters,” “The Jonathan Winters Show,” “Playhouse
90,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Laugh-In,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Mork and Mindy,”
“Davis Rules” (for which he won an Emmy Award), and many others.
He made 12 comedy records and was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning the
honor for Best Spoken Word Album in 1992. He has received the Mark Twain Prize for
American Humor from the Kennedy Center and a Lifetime Achievement Award from
the American Comedy Awards.
KATY PERRY (Smurfette) is a global superstar who has sold over 8 million albums and
almost 60 million songs and videos in the past three years.
Her 2008 multi-platinum debut album “One Of The Boys” generated four massive hit
singles – “I Kissed A Girl,” “Hot N Cold,” “Thinking of You,” and “Waking Up In Vegas” –
while her 2010 follow-up “Teenage Dream” has already generated four #1 hit singles –
“California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” and “E.T.” – a feat so rare that it’s only
the ninth album in the 52-year history of the Billboard charts to achieve it. “Teenage
Dream” also became the first album to have a single in the Top 10 for an entire year!
During the same period, Katy became one of the hottest concert attractions, with a yearlong International Tour of sold-out arenas, including over 60 cities in North America
during summer and fall of 2011.
Katy Perry was born on the internet, and now lives on buses and airplanes.
ALAN CUMMING (Gutsy Smurf) is an award-winning actor of stage and screen,
producer, performer, writer and director, who recently received an Emmy nomination for
his portrayal of the tough talking politico Eli Gold in “The Good Wife.” In addition to
serving as the host of the PBS drama, "Masterpiece Mystery," Cumming is also
currently starring in “The Runaway,” a six-part mini-series for Sky TV in the UK.
Cumming has appeared in several other television series, including "Sex and the City,"
"Frasier," "Third Rock from the Sun," "The L Word," "Reefer Madness" and the miniseries, "Tin Man."
Most recently seen on screen alongside renowned music artists Cher and Christina
Aguilera in Burlesque, Cumming will be seen later this year in the independent drama,
Maladies, co-starring James Franco and Catherine Keener. His past film credits include
the film adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Circle of Friends, X2: X-Men
United, the Spy Kids trilogy, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Goldeneye,
Eyes Wide Shut, Titus, Emma, Dare and Sweet Land. With Jennifer Jason Leigh he
wrote, produced, directed and acted in The Anniversary Party.
On Broadway, Cumming was heralded for his seminal performance as the Emcee in the
1998 revival of "Cabaret,” receiving a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award, among
others. He has continued to work steadily in theater since, but highlights include the
role of Dionysus in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Euripides' "The
Bacchae," "Hamlet" at the Donmar Warehouse in London, and his performance in
"Accidental Death of an Anarchist."
Cumming’s activism and passion for various civil rights and sex education causes have
earned him many humanitarian awards, most notably GLAAD’s Vito Russo media
award. He was recently made an O.B.E. (Officer of the British Empire) in the 2009
Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Cumming will also continue to tour the world with his critically acclaimed/award-winning
cabaret show and contribute to his recently launched obsession-based website,
www.itsasickness.com.
FRED ARMISEN (Brainy Smurf) is in his ninth season on “Saturday Night Live.”
In his first year, Armisen scored with his character “Fericito.” The Venezuelan
comedian coached Senator John McCain through his opening monologue and brought
big laughs to “Weekend Update” along with the recurring sketch “Showbiz Grande
Explosion” with his Latin style and catchphrase “I’m just keeeeeeding.”
Armisen took on the role of then-Democratic Presidential nominee and now U.S.
President Barack Obama. His impression of New York Governor Patterson has also
garnered its fair share of controversy. Other characters include the distracted court
stenographer “Elinda Nade,” the political comedian “Nicholas Fehn,” “Mr. Vogelcheck” in
the ‘too close for comfort’ kissing family, and the Native American comic “Billy Smith.”
Armisen has also contributed memorable impressions of Larry King, Apple CEO Steve
Jobs, Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad in the popular Digital Short “Iran So Far
Away,” and Prince, the often-silent host of the musician’s talk show “The Prince Show.”
Armisen has landed on Rolling Stone’s “Hot List” as well as several times on
Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List” (for his performance as a politically incorrect deaf
comedian and his witty iTunes playlist). He recently appeared in the feature films Cop
Out alongside Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, Confessions of a Shopaholic opposite
Isla Fisher, The Rocker opposite Rainn Wilson, and The Promotion with John C. Reilly.
He has also appeared in the films Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (with Jack Black),
The Ex (with Zach Braff and Jason Bateman), as well as Eurotrip, and Will Ferrell and
Adam McKay’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Armisen also co-created, co-wrote, and stars in critically-acclaimed IFC comedy series
“Portlandia.” Currently filming their second season, the show takes a comedic and
whimsical look at the eco-friendly city of Portland, Oregon.
Armisen began his career as a musician in the Chicago-based post-punk band
Trenchmouth as well as playing with Blue Man Group. His transition to comedy came
with the 1998 underground short film Fred Armisen’s Guide to Music and SXSW which
followed him through the Austin, Texas South By Southwest Music Festival, posing as a
music journalist. In 2006, he tried his hand at actual musical journalism, profiling the
indie darling Cat Power for the influential music website Pitchfork.com.
He married music and comedy, becoming drummer Jens Hannemann and releasing an
instructional DVD Complicated Drumming Technique in 2007.
Armisen lives in New York City.
GEORGE LOPEZ (Grouchy Smurf) is a multi-talented entertainer whose career
encompasses television, film, standup comedy and now late-night television. “Lopez
Tonight” represents Lopez’s return to series television after co-creating, writing,
producing and starring in Warner Bros. Television’s groundbreaking hit sitcom “George
Lopez,” which ran for six seasons on ABC. “George Lopez” remains a hit with viewers
in syndication on both broadcast stations and cable’s Nick at Nite, ranking as one of the
top-rated shows on the network and among the top five comedies and top 20 weekly
programs in syndication. “George Lopez” is one of only four off-net comedies to post
weekly ratings gains among households from the 2007–08 to 2008–09 season.
Lopez has risen to become one of the premier comedic talents in the entertainment
industry. He has been praised by audiences and critics alike for his work in television,
film and standup, as well as his extensive charity work with various foundations.
Lopez recently voiced the character Rafael in the animated blockbuster, Rio, along with
Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, and Jesse Eisenberg. His other most recent film credits
include the box-office hit Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall; Beverly Hills
Chihuahua; Swing Vote; Henry Poole Is Here; and Balls of Fury.
In August 2009, Lopez filmed his second HBO Comedy Special, “Tall, Dark and
Chicano.” He headlined his first HBO Comedy Special, “America’s Mexican,” in 2007.
Lopez has also performed as part of HBO and TBS’s “Comic Relief” 2006. His
acclaimed comedy concert, “Why You Crying?,” debuted on Showtime in 2004. Lopez
released his third standup CD, “El Mas Chingon,” in 2006, earning a Grammy
nomination in the category of Best Comedy Album. Prior to that, in 2004, he was
nominated for a Grammy in the same category for his CD “Team Leader.” In May 2004,
his autobiography, Why You Crying?, entered The New York Times Bestsellers Top 20.
The book was co-written by Emmy®-winning writer and sportscaster Armen Keteyian.
Lopez also was the focus of the award-winning documentary Brown is the New Green:
George Lopez and the American Dream.
In 2006, Lopez received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition, Time
magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and the
Harris Poll named him one of the Top Ten Favorite Television Personalities. Lopez has
made more than 200 television comedy, talk show and hosting appearances, including
co-hosting the Emmy Awards and twice hosting the Latin Grammys. In 2001, Lopez
hosted a major morning radio show in Los Angeles, becoming the first Latino to
headline the key morning slot on an English-language station in one of the nation’s top
radio markets.
Lopez has received the Manny Mota Foundation Community Spirit Award and was
named Honorary Mayor of Los Angeles for his extensive fundraising efforts benefiting
earthquake victims in El Salvador and Guatemala. Other honors include an Imagen
Vision Award, the Latino Spirit Award and the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact
Award.
The Lopez Foundation, founded by George, was established to create positive,
permanent change for underprivileged children and adults confronting challenges in
education and health, as well as increasing community awareness about kidney
disease, organ donation, and the military.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
RAJA GOSNELL (Director) was born in Los Angeles and started his career as an
assistant editor for famed director Robert Altman, working on Popeye and other
features. After working with Academy Award winning editor William Reynolds, Gosnell
went off on his own earning his first solo credit in editing for the film The Silence.
Over the next decade and a half, Gosnell continued to work as a film editor for
numerous hits including Teen Wolf Too (1987), Pretty Woman (1990) and Rookie of
the Year (1993). He subsequently became associated with filmmaker Chris Columbus,
working as his editor on each of Columbus’ directing efforts, including Adventures in
Babysitting (1987), Heartbreak Hotel (1988), Home Alone (1990), Only The Lonely
(1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and Nine
Months (1995).
By the mid ‘90s, Gosnell had made the transition to directing and began looking for a
project that he might helm. After discovering Home Alone 3 (1997) was on the lookout
for a director, he got in touch with producer John Hughes. Gosnell, who had worked on
the previous Home Alone films along with a number of other Hughes movies, landed
the job.
Since then, he has directed several box-office successes, including Never Been
Kissed (1999), Big Momma’s House (2000), Scooby-Doo (2002), Scooby-Doo 2:
Monster’s Unleashed (2004), Yours, Mine and Ours (2005), and his latest hit, Beverly
Hills Chihuahua (2008).
JORDAN KERNER (Producer) is president and founder of The Kerner Entertainment
Company, which is committed to high quality, value-oriented, provocative entertainment.
Kerner last produced a faithful live-action adaptation of the revered E.B. White
book Charlotte’s Web for a Holiday 2006 release. It was written by Academy Award®nominated screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) and Karey Kirkpatrick
(Chicken Run). Gary Winick (13 Going on 30) directed the film. It starred Dakota
Fanning as Fern. The animated voice cast included Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey,
Robert Redford, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Thomas Hayden Church,
Cedric the Entertainer, and Reba McEntire. The Critics Choice Awards named
Charlotte’s Web Best Family Film. It was also awarded the Christopher Award, the
Gemini Award, the Truly Moving Motion Picture Award, and the Movieline Award for
Best Family Film. The Florida Film Critics Circle, Las Vegas Film Critics, and the
Phoenix Film Critics chose it as Best Picture.
Kerner’s previous films include such titles as Snow Dogs, George of the Jungle
1 and 2, Inspector Gadget 1 and 2, Red Corner, Up Close and Personal, The Mighty
Ducks trilogy, The War, When a Man Loves a Woman, Fried Green Tomatoes,
and Less than Zero, as well as the TV movies “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Heatwave,” “For
Their Own Good,” “The Switch,” and many others, including the “Mama Flora’s Family”
miniseries and “The Judds” miniseries.
Kerner was named the Producer of the Year by the Hollywood Entertainment Museum
at its 2006 Legacy Award Event. His films have received nominations for and/or won
Academy Awards®, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics Choice Awards, DGA
Awards, WGA Awards, The Humanitas Award, NAACP Award, The Diversity Award,
The Golden Satellite Award, The Art Directors Guild Award, The Sound Editors Guild
Award, and Visual Effects Society Awards.
Currently, Kerner Entertainment has over 25 projects in development for theatrical,
television, and video premiere release.
In 2007, Kerner became the Dean of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’
School of Filmmaking. He began to re-imagine the manner in which film, television,
animation, gaming, and other new media are taught in the 21st Century. Kerner has
initiated many novel educational systems, as well as led a legislative effort to both
increase the Film Tax Incentive and a create a new public/private means for studio
construction across North Carolina. He has made the tenets of Value and Worth the
guiding principles of the storytelling at UNCSA’s School of Filmmaking, and initiated a
number of visionary cross-campus and interdisciplinary programs. The University
believes in working professional Deans, and has supported his commute to California to
maintain and build his Production Company. Kerner welcomed over 60 student
shadowers to the set and post-production of the The Smurfs and to his development
office in Los Angeles.
Kerner is a graduate of Stanford University with an AB degree with Distinction in
Political Science and Communications. He also received a joint graduate degree from
both the University of California at Berkeley with a an MBA from the Haas School of
Business (including an emphasis in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public
Policy) and University of California at San Francisco, Hastings College of the Law
where he was a member of the Law Review and founder of COMM/ENT The Journal of
Communications and Entertainment Law.
He currently resides in Winston Salem, North Carolina with his wife Nicola O’Shea, their
daughters Haley, Grace and Lily; a chocolate lab Charlotte; two cats Lucy and Wally,
and a gecko who has requested anonymity.
J. DAVID STEM & DAVID N. WEISS (Screenplay by/Story by) were co-writers of the
Academy Award®-nominated features Shrek 2 and Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. They
received an Emmy nomination for their work as co-producers and head writers of the
“Rugrats” series, where they also penned the acclaimed perennial “Rugrats Chanukah
Special.” The team wrote the screenplay for The Rugrats Movie, and co-wrote Rugrats
in Paris, as well as the adventure film Clockstoppers, the family hit Are We There Yet?,
starring Ice Cube; and Daddy Day Camp, starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
In television, the writing duo served as executive story editors on the hit CBS series
“Cybill” and as co-producers on The WB’s “Mission Hill.” Stem attended USC’s
Graduate School of Journalism and wrote for TV Guide and Newsday. He also built an
ADDY Award-winning career in advertising as a writer and director. Weiss received his
graduate degree from the USC School of Cinema/Television. Prior to teaming with
Stem, he wrote and directed several award-winning shorts and penned the screenplay
for the popular animated feature All Dogs Go to Heaven.
JAY SCHERICK & DAVID RONN (Screenplay by) met when they both worked for a
New York based corporate bartering company. Unhappy in their work, the two decided
to team up and write a television script. The effort landed them a job as staff writers on
the short-lived NBC comedy, “Mr. Rhodes.” From there, Scherick & Ronn segued into
three years on “Spin City” where they served as writer/producers.
At the same time, Scherick & Ronn also pursued a feature career, writing two spec
scripts, National Security and Servicing Sara, both of which were produced. While
continuing to work in television, the two expanded their feature career working on a
number of projects including I Spy starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson, Guess
Who starring Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, and Norbit again with Eddie Murphy.
Their other work this summer includes Columbia Pictures’/MGM’s Zookeeper.
Jay Scherick grew up in New York, and for a few years, Los Angeles. He is a graduate
of Harvard College.
David Ronn was raised in Great Neck, NY, and is a graduate of NYU.
EZRA SWERDLOW (Executive Producer) has amassed a distinguished list of
production credits that spans the past 30 years, working alongside directors Woody
Allen, Martin Scorsese, Sydney Pollack, Mike Nichols, Barry Levinson, and Mel Brooks.
His credits include When in Rome, Zombieland, Enchanted, Invincible, Secret Window,
Head of State, Wag the Dog, The First Wives Club, Waiting to Exhale, Radio Days, and,
most recently, the HBO film “Too Big to Fail.”
BEN HABER (Executive Producer) is Vice President of Kerner Entertainment, a
production company that is devoted to producing high quality entertainment for the
family audience.
Haber conceived and Co-Produced the 2007 Academy Award®-nominated Revolution
Studios/Columbia Pictures musical Across the Universe. It was directed by Julie
Taymor and stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgis.
Prior to joining Kerner Entertainment, Haber was Vice President at Broken Road
Productions and, before that, Director at Gross Entertainment.
He began his career in the entertainment industry with an MFA in Motion Picture
Producing from The University of Southern California’s prestigious Peter Stark
Producing Program. He double majored in Theatre and Mathematics at Northwestern
University.
Haber resides in Encino, California with his wife, Laurie Barnes, and their two dogs,
Fletch and Sabrina.
In 1993, PAUL NEESAN (Executive Producer) moved to Los Angeles from San
Francisco, California to pursue a career in film. Later that year, Neesan was introduced
to film producer John Davis, who offered Neesan the opportunity to develop film
material from one of Davis’ offices on the 20th Century Fox studio lot. In his first year,
Neesan developed the screenplay Courage Under Fire.
In 1996, Neesan co-produced that film, which starred Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan
and Matt Damon and directed by Edward Zwick. Neesan also developed and executive
produced the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Daylight with Davis, for director Rob
Cohen and Universal Pictures in 1996.
In 1997, Neesan was named director of development of Universal Pictures and was
promoted to vice president of film production that same year. Neesan supervised many
films (ranging from Happy Gilmore to Dante’s Peak) as a studio executive during his
tenure at Universal Pictures from 1997 to 1999.
In 1998, Neesan co-produced Mercury Rising, a Universal Pictures thriller he developed
from a Ryne Douglas Pearson novel, which starred Bruce Willis and was directed by
Harold Becker.
In 1999, Neesan left the studio to run development and production for
Mostow/Lieberman Productions. Neesan supervised development of the film slate for
director Jonathan Mostow and producer Hal Lieberman, resulting in the 2000 production
of WWII U-Boat drama U-571 for Universal Pictures. The film was directed by Jonathan
Mostow and starred Matthew McConnaghey. In 1999, Neesan also produced The New
Jersey Turnpikes, a comedy starring Orlando Jones, Kelsey Grammer and Jason Segel.
In 2001, Neesan was introduced to Jordan Kerner, who was in the process of forming
The Kerner Entertainment Company at Paramount Pictures. Neesan joined Kerner as
executive vice president of the company and head of development and production.
In 2003, for Kerner and Paramount Pictures, Neesan developed and guided production
of Charlotte’s Web based on the classic book by E.B. White. The film, released by
Paramount in December 2006, was executive produced by Neesan, and starred Dakota
Fanning and various voice talent including Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey and Steve
Buscemi. Gary Winick was the film’s director. Neesan continues to guide over twenty
film projects that he helped developed for Kerner.
A biochemistry graduate from the University of California at Davis, Neesan resides in
Los Angeles with his 8-year-old son Zachary.
PHIL MÉHEUX, BSC (Director of Photography) is currently shooting Here Comes the
Boom, starring Kevin James.
Méheux most recently filmed Edge of Darkness, which continued a long and successful
collaboration with director Martin Campbell. He photographed Campbell’s feature
directorial debut, Criminal Law, and went on to work with him on Defenseless, No
Escape, GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro, Beyond Borders, The Legend of Zorro, and the
James Bond thriller Casino Royale, for which he earned a British Society of
Cinematographers Award and a BAFTA Award nomination.
Méheux’s additional cinematography credits include the features Beverly Hills
Chihuahua, Around the World in 80 Days, Chris Columbus’ Bicentennial Man, Jon
Amiel’s Entrapment, Phillip Noyce’s The Saint, Ghost in the Machine, The Trial,
Highlander 2: The Quickening, Renegades, The Fourth Protocol, Max Headroom, and
Experience Preferred…But Not Essential.
After leaving school at 16, Méheux worked at various film jobs in London before
becoming a projectionist at the BBC Television Studios in Ealing. In his free time, he
edited and photographed a number of 16mm shorts, the most notable of which was One
is One, which was sponsored by the British Film Institute and entered in several
worldwide film festivals. His ambitious efforts gained him a place with the BBC’s
prestigious film training program and, by the late 1960s, Méheux was working as a
documentary cameraman with the BBC film unit. Several of his award-winning television
films subsequently caught the eye of director Anthony Simmons, whose 35mm feature
Black Joy, photographed by Méheux, became the official British entry at the 1977
Cannes Film Festival. Its producer, Martin Campbell, then re-teamed with Méheux on
the Alan Clarke drama Scum, which led to such early cinematography credits as The
Long Good Friday, Omen III: The Final Conflict and The Disappearance of Harry.
Méheux was elected to the British Society of Cinematographers in 1979 and has served
on the Board of Governors for several years, becoming its longest-running president for
a four-year term, from 2002 to 2006, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences.
BILL BOES (Production Designer) re-teams with director Raja Gosnell after
collaborating on the films Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Scooby-Doo, and Scooby-Doo 2:
Monsters Unleashed. His other credits include Fantastic Four, “Return to the Batcave:
The Misadventures of Adam and Burt,” which aired on CBS, and Monkeybone, starring
Brendan Fraser.
Boes’ credits include work as assistant art director, including two collaborations with
renowned director Tim Burton on Sleepy Hollow and The Nightmare Before Christmas,
as well as the films Alien: Resurrection and James and the Giant Peach.
SABRINA PLISCO, A.C.E. (Editor) is a highly regarded editor specializing in “hybrid”
and heavy visual effects movies whose recent projects include Beverly Hills Chihuahua,
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Charlotte’s Web, Free Willy: Escape from Pirates
Cove, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
Among Plisco’s television projects are such films as the DreamWorks miniseries “Into
the West,” “Boomtown,” “Uprising” (ACE Eddie Award nomination), “Trapped in a Purple
Haze,” and “Chance of a Lifetime,” along with her musical collaborations with Robert
Townsend: “Livin’ For Love: The Natalie Cole Story,” “Holiday Heart,” and “Little
Richard.”
Plisco has been frequently called upon to edit Hallmark Hall of Fame television
productions, including “The Locket,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Looking for Lost Bird,”
“Durango,” “Rose Hill,” “Blue River” and “Trick of the Eye.” Other television projects
include “Michael Hayes,” ”Providence,” ”Divas,” “A Mother’s Instinct,” “Blue River,”
“Under One Roof,” “Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills,” “Passion for Justice: The
Hazel Brannon Smith Story” and “For Their Own Good.”
Plisco has been a frequent collaborator with director Mike Robe on such projects as
“The Junction Boys,” “Scared Silent,” “The Princess and the Marine,” “Shake, Rattle and
Roll,” “Emma’s Wish,” “Final Descent” and “Summer of Fear.” She has also teamed with
director John Power on a number of projects, including “Someone Else’s Child,” “Fatal
Vows: The Alexandra O’Hara Story,” “Betrayed by Love” and “Heart of Fire.”
RICHARD R. HOOVER (Visual Effects Supervisor), whose visual effects work on
Superman Returns and Armageddon earned him Oscar® nominations, is known for his
broad creative palette. Just prior to beginning work on The Smurfs, Hoover supervised
visual effects at Imageworks for the Warner Bros. feature comedy Cats and Dogs 2, the
suspense thriller Valkyrie and a special assignment as the senior visual effects
supervisor on Blade Runner: The Final Cut, the 2007 restoration of the classic.
Prior to joining Sony Pictures Imageworks in 2002, Hoover worked at Dream Quest
Images, which later became The Secret Lab, for more than a decade. While at the
company, he was Visual Effects Supervisor on Touchstone Pictures Reign of Fire and
Unbreakable and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Inspector Gadget.
Earlier in his career, Hoover also served as Visual Effects Supervisor on the Walt
Disney’s Jungle to Jungle and the Warner Bros. film, Freejack.
Hoover entered feature film visual effects through a successful career as a commercial
director, establishing his reputation with deft production of commercials rich in visual
effects. Hoover was one of the first directors at Dream Quest (DQ) Image’s commercial
division, DQ Films, where he designed, shot and supervised effects shots. During his
tenure at DQ Films, Hoover directed the movie trailer for Total Recall.
Before moving to DQ Films, Hoover directed live action spots for New York-based
Triplevision and the legendary Robert Abel & Associates. At Robert Abel & Associates,
Hoover worked with renowned and innovative commercial filmmaker, Robert Abel, a
leading pioneer in computer graphics and visual effects for film and television. With
Abel, he had the opportunity to direct a variety of high profile commercials for national
clients, such as Levi’s, combining live action, computer graphics and a wide range of
visual effects. Hoover soon won several prestigious Clio awards and honors at film
festivals in Cannes, New York and Chicago.
Hoover began his career at Mid-Ocean Motion Pictures in Los Angeles where he
tackled both live action and computer generated visual effects assignments. Here he
demonstrated a keen understanding of character and drama as well as a mastery of
cutting-edge technology.
Hoover is a graduate of the University of Oregon where he majored in Design with an
emphasis in animation.
RITA RYACK (Costume Designer) has designed costumes for around 40 feature films,
including Hairspray and the currently filming Rock Of Ages for Adam Shankman.
Among her other prominent projects are Casino, Cape Fear, After Hours, all for Martin
Scorsese; and with Robert DeNiro, Wag The Dog and A Bronx Tale. She designed 6
films for director Ron Howard, including Apollo 13, Ransom, The Paper, Edtv, A
Beautiful Mind, and The Grinch, the last of which earned her an Oscar® nomination.
Other notable films include Charlotte’s Web, Rush Hour 2 for New Line, Mitchell
Lichtenstein’s Teeth, and “You Don’t Know Jack” with Al Pacino, which received an
Emmy nomination for Costume Design.
Ryack has also worked extensively on and Off-Broadway. she received a Tony
nomination for the Broadway musical “My One and Only,” which starred Tommy Tune
and Twiggy.
Her other awards and nominations include the OBIE for Sustained Excellence in
Costume Design, The Costume Designers’ Guild Award and Golden Satellite Award for
“The Grinch,” and American Theatre Wing and Drama desk nominations.
She most recently designed the acclaimed “Time Stands Still” on Broadway, and the
NBC pilot “Smash,” produced by Steven Spielberg.
She also designed the 82nd Annual Academy Awards® for Adam Shankman, and
Michael Jackson’s “Bad” video, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Ryack is a former cartoon animator who has written and illustrated, and continues to
write, her own evil graphic novels.
She is a graduate of Yale Drama School.
HEITOR PEREIRA (Music by) is establishing a reputation for bringing international
flavors to mainstream American scores. From a Santa Monica studio jammed with
hundreds of instruments from around the world, Pereira has composed scores for From
Prada to Nada, Despicable Me, It’s Complicated, Running the Sahara, Beverly Hills
Chihuahua, Illegal Tender, Curious George, Ask the Dust, Real Women Have Curves,
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and Riding in Cars With Boys.
Pereira attracted Hans Zimmer’s attention for his outstanding skills as a guitarist.
Zimmer hired Pereira to play on a few scores, and soon Pereira was following in the
footsteps of other well-known musicians-turned-film- composers including Zimmer,
James Newton Howard and Danny Elfman. Pereira has played guitar on and/or
contributed music to the scores of Mission: Impossible II, Black Hawk Down, Spanglish,
As Good as It Gets, I Am Sam, The Pledge, Something’s Gotta Give, Shrek 2,
Madagascar, Man on Fire, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, The Rundown, Flushed Away,
The Holiday, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, The Simpsons Movie, The Kite
Runner, Bee Movie, The Dark Knight and Angels & Demons.
Born to a family of musicians in the south of Brazil, Pereira completed his conservatory
studies in guitar, harmony, counterpoint and composition in Rio de Janeiro. He quickly
began playing with some of the leading artists in Brazil and attracted the attention of the
producer of the band Simply Red. He entertained millions of fans around the world as
that band’s lead guitarist. He has also released three solo albums of his own music.
Throughout his career, Pereira has played guitar on the albums of widely diverse artists
who esteem him as much for his unique sensibility as his astonishing guitar virtuosity.
These artists include Sergio Mendes, Caetano Veloso, Ivan Lins, Jack Johnson, Bryan
Adams, Sir Elton John, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Seal and Nelly Furtado.
ROB ENGLE (3D Visual Effects Supervisor) is a senior stereographer at Sony Pictures
Imageworks and, with experience on over a dozen 3D features utilizing every
production technique including conversion, rendering and native 3D photography, is
regarded as one of the industry’s leading experts in stereoscopic production.
Engle recently completed 3D supervision on several films, including the Walt
Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer production Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the
Screen Gems feature Priest, and Columbia Pictures’ The Green Hornet. His next
project is The Amazing Spider-Man.
Among his other credits, Engle supervised the stereoscopic adaptations of the films GForce, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (co-supervisor), Beowulf, Monster House,
Open Season, and the breakthrough release of Robert Zemeckis’ The Polar Express,
which many credit as ushering in the modern era of stereoscopic filmmaking. He also
supervised visual effects and post-production stereography on Jonas Brothers: The 3D
Concert Experience and Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D.
In addition to his work on stereoscopic films, Engle served as CG supervisor on The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which was nominated for
the Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects, as well as Peter Pan, Charlie’s Angels:
Full Throttle, and Stuart Little 2.
Both a creative and technical artist, Engle was a pipeline supervisor on the 2D release
of The Polar Express, where he coordinated the activities of a number of different
departments to build the pipeline needed for Imageworks’ first all-CG feature. On Stuart
Little 2, he headed up the R&D team, where he was responsible for creating Stuart’s
avian co-stars, Margalo and Falcon. Engle also developed the lighting pipeline and
initial R&D for the tools used to create Stuart’s fur in the original Stuart Little, which was
nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects. Engle was the lighting
pipeline lead on Godzilla, lead production software engineer on Contact and software
developer for the RenderMan interface on Anaconda. Engle joined Imageworks in 1996
as lead software engineer on Imageworks’ in-house RenderMan interface.
With interest and the marketplace for 3D growing, Engle’s artistic and technical
expertise have made him a highly sought-after speaker at industry events including The
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, SIGGRAPH, the VES Summit, the
International 3D Society, the Stereoscopic Displays and Applications Conference, the
SMPTE Technical Conference, the Hollywood Post Alliance, HD Expo and special
speaking engagements for the ASC among others.
Engle is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), The
Visual Effects Society (VES) Board of Directors and the International 3D Society (I3DS)
Board of Governors.
Before joining Imageworks, Engle interned in the software department at Industrial Light
& Magic (ILM) and worked for the Hewlett Packard Company developing the IC
Computer Aided Design software used to create many of the company’s computer and
test equipment products
Engle holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Stanford University
and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the
University of Colorado.
“Academy Award®” and “Oscar®” are the registered trademarks and service marks of
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.