2010 'Smurfs' Movie Coming in 3D

Three or four years ago, I think if you would have asked people if there was a tremendous amount of interest in a movie about Transformers - and perhaps you did - you probably wouldn't have heard that the sequel to such a film would be breathing down the necks of box office records. So you never know, I suppose. That's why I wouldn't be too quick to roll your eyes at a new Smurfs movie, which Columbia will unfurl on December 17, 2010. The characters are now over 50 years old, and weren't originally the worldwide phenomenon a generation of kids embraced in the early 1980s, but based on the property's long life and its familiarity to American audiences, a movie makes a certain amount of commercial sense. I mean, if Alvin and the Chipmunks could do $200 million, anything is possible. Coming Soon reports that the new movie will be in and even renames it Smurfs 3D, but we'll see if they stick to original title. The problem with putting "3D" in the name is it's doubtful the film will only play on 3D screens, and such an attribution would confuse people who show up at the dollar theater expecting cool plastic specs when they walk in to see it. I would expect Columbia to show off some finalized character art sooner than later, and if they go through the holiday season without so much as a teaser trailer, somebody will have really dropped the ball.