The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D fantasy adventure comedy film based on the comic series of the same name created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara and Hank Azaria, with the voices of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, Fred Armisen and Alan Cumming. It is the first Sony Pictures Animation film to blend computer animation with live-action photography, and the first of two live-action animated Smurfs feature films. After five years of negotiations, Jordan Kerner bought the rights in 2002, and the film entered development with Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies, until Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation obtained the film rights in 2008. Filming began in March 2010 in New York City. The Smurfs was released by Columbia Pictures on July 29, 2011. While the film received negative reviews from critics, the film grossed $564 million worldwide against a $110 million budget, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2011 and Sony Pictures Animation's most commercially successful film to date. A sequel, titled The Smurfs 2, was released on July 31, 2013. Plot As the Smurfs prepare for the Blue Moon Festival, Papa Smurf sees a vision of Clumsy Smurf reaching for a dragon wand and the Smurfs' longtime enemy, evil wizard Gargamel, capturing him. Not wanting this vision to come true, Papa disallows Clumsy to pick smurfroot, since the smurfroot fields lead to Gargamel's castle. Clumsy disobeys Papa and ends up leading Gargamel and his pet cat Azrael to the village. The Smurfs all flee for their lives while Clumsy runs towards the Forbidden Falls, with Papa, Smurfette, Grouchy, Brainy and Gutsy running after him. They are sucked into a gigantic vortex that spirits them to 2011 New York City. To make matters worse, Gargamel and Azrael follow them through the vortex. The Smurfs end up in the apartment of Patrick and Grace Winslow, a married couple who are expecting their first child. After introducing themselves and explaining their situation, the Winslows befriend them. The next day, needing to find a "stargazer", the Smurfs follow Patrick to his workplace at Anjelou Cosmetics, misunderstanding the previous explanation of his job as fortune-telling. Meanwhile, having extracted Smurf essence from a lock of Smurfette's hair, Gargamel also arrives at Anjelou Cosmetics and ends up being treated favorably by Patrick's boss Odile when