A year after the initial announcement of the two standalone episodes titled «Smurfs Adventures», Peyo Company is returning to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with news for the global fanbase.
Both new specials will air globally on Nickelodeon, a long-standing partner of Peyo Company and the primary broadcaster of the hit 2021 CG animated series. Additionally, regional broadcasters RTBF and Ketnet have confirmed their partnerships to bring «Smurfs Adventures» to viewers in Belgium, ensuring the beloved blue characters reach both children and lifelong fans in their home country.
As Peyo Company—founded by Peyo’s daughter, Véronique Culliford, to preserve her father’s legacy—celebrates the 45th anniversary of the classic Hanna-Barbera The Smurfs TV series, these new adventures aim to push the boundaries of the franchise. The brand-new TV specials will take the iconic characters out of their village to face unprecedented challenges, while strictly maintaining the core DNA of laughter, excitement, and friendship established since their creation in 1958 and revitalized in the 2021 reboot.
Spanning across genres, these 22-minute standalone episodes introduce a new narrative depth to the fast-paced, addictive series, raising the stakes for the universe’s well-known inhabitants.
The first adventure will center around a high-stakes magic skills competition featuring wizards from across the globe. Unsurprisingly, the storyline will heavily feature the evil wizard Gargamel, finally shedding light on the core reasons behind his obsessive, lifelong quest to capture the Smurfs.
The second standalone episode will introduce a brand-new character to the franchise: Baby Smurfie. Described as an adorable little girl with a mischievous face and a head full of delightfully bad ideas, her arrival guarantees a wild ride for both the Smurfs and audiences worldwide.
In anticipation of the upcoming Annecy festival, Peyo Company also confirmed that a social media teaser for «Smurfs Adventures» will be released in the near future.
Industry perspectives
Nele De Wilde, Executive Producer and CCO of Audiovisual & Music at Peyo Company, highlighted the strategic value of the project. ‘These standalone episodes were born out of a real demand from our partners for additional content between seasons. It’s also an opportunity for us to do something different: a 22-minute format that gives us more room to tell a story, and a higher ambition both narratively and visually. Peyo Company is genuinely thrilled with the quality of what is being made… Working again with partners such as Nickelodeon and RTBF has been an absolute joy. Their contributions ensure the Smurfs remain a meaningful part of the lives of audiences all over the world’.
Broadcast partners also expressed their enthusiasm for the expanded format. Telidja Klaï, Content Manager at VRT, stated, ‘The Smurfs have been part of the Ketnet family for ages. We are absolutely delighted to welcome these two new adventures at our Ketnet home. We are sure that the Ketnet viewers will love these two brilliant specials’.
Similarly, Paola Acosta, Animation Commissioning Manager at RTBF, emphasized the enduring appeal of the property: ‘The Smurfs have an extraordinary ability to reinvent themselves, while remaining unmistakably true to who they are. RTBF is proud to support this new adventure, proving that timeless characters can continue to evolve, inspire and capture the hearts of audiences around the world’.
