26 Mar – Having previously announced that a third "Smurfs" movie will hit the theatres sometime this year or the next, Sony Picture Animation recently released an update announcing that the movie is now set to grace the big screen in 2017 instead. According to Deadline, the still untitled "Smurfs" movie, which will be fully animated this time around, is slated for global release on 31 March 2017. "With a fully animated feature close in tone and design to Peyo's original creation, we're embracing everything that has made the Smurfs so special for audiences worldwide," Sony Pictures President of Worldwide Distribution, Rory Bruer, said in a statement. The project will be helmed by Kelly Asbury, who previously directed "Shrek 2" and "Gnomeo & Juliet". The first "Smurfs" film, directed by Raja Gosnell, was released back in 2011 and grossed USD563.7 million worldwide. Meanwhile, "Smurfs 2", released in 2013, made a worldwide gross of USD347.5 million. The film's official title and voice cast have yet to be announced.