The Smurfs head to Nickelodeon with new animated series

Nickelodeon has partnered with LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors for The Smurfs to bring a brand-new original CG-animated series to a new generation.

Under this new deal, Nickelodeon has licensed the global rights to The Smurfs, which follows the beloved characters—Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy and others—on all-new adventures. The series is set to debut in 2021 in the U.S., followed by Nickelodeon’s international channels.

In addition to the content partnership, ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) will manage consumer products licensing for The Smurfs property across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia. VCP will seek new merchandising and promotional partners for The Smurfs brand, in addition to a new product line for the new animated series that will include toys, stationery, apparel and accessories, home goods, consumer packaged goods and more. This collection will launch in 2022.

“The Smurfs is an iconic global franchise that has resonated with audiences for decades,” said Pam Kaufman, president of ViacomCBS Consumer Products. “By partnering with LAFIG, we are able to join our creative forces to bring an all-new line of consumer products across multiple categories to consumers, along with a fresh and original animated series.”

“The Smurfs have entertained generations of kids and families globally, and we are thrilled to bring these identifiable characters, their stories and universal themes of cooperation, sharing and caring for their community to Nickelodeon,” said Layla Lewis, senior vice president of Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships.

“I am extremely proud and happy to have Nickelodeon and its fantastic team to represent our Smurf brand both for the broadcast of our beautiful new TV series and as an agent. We are making history again more than 40 years after the global success of the first TV series of The Smurfs, which is broadcast is more than 100 countries still today! I am convinced that we could not have found a better partner to smurf our beautiful blue planet,” said Véronique Culliford, founder and president of IMPS/LAFIG.

Are you excited to see The Smurfs find a new home with Nickelodeon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!