“Smurfs� smurfing in 2008

“Smurfs� is being turned into a computer animated movie as Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to create a movie based on cartoon characters and has hired producer Jordan Kerner to develop it.

Paramount wants to make a trilogy, with the first film coming out in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of The Smurfs.

The film would be made in 3-D CGI in association with Nickelodeon Movies. Writer Herb Ratner will script the project and the storyline is being kept under wraps. He recently wrote Mr. Lucky for Revolution and co-wrote Focus’ Clean Break with Trevor Sands.

‘The Smurfs’ originated as a comic strip in Belgium in 1958. The television version was launched in 1981. There were 256 episodes of the show and it won a number of Emmy awards.