Ahead of the beloved characters' 70th birthday in 2028, the fourth season of the 2021 CG hit reboot is currently under production, with a first part planned for fourth quarter 2027
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| Smurfs Season 4 exclusive first look. Credits Peyo Productions – Dupuis Édition & Audiovisuel – Ellipsanime Productions – KiKA – KETNET – RTBF – 2026 |
Peyo Productions, the production arm of Peyo Company, home of the beloved Smurfs characters, has confirmed that the fourth season of its 2021 global hit CG-animated series
The Smurfs is currently in production, sharing a first-look at a colorful new setting, featuring the iconic legacy characters created by Peyo. The news was first reported by
Variety.
The 52 11-minute episodes will be delivered in two parts, the first half at the end of 2027, while the second will air in 2028 as part of a joint anniversary year for the Smurfs characters, celebrating Peyo’s 100th birthday and the Smurfs 70th birthday.
Produced with French animation powerhouse Ellipse Animation, The Smurfs brings back together longtime European co-production broadcasters RTBF, Ketnet, KiKA, and TF1, as well as global partner Nickelodeon. Starting fourth quarter 2027, the partnering European broadcasters will premiere the new season in Germany (KiKA), France (TF1) and Belgium (Ketnet, RTBF), while Nickelodeon will premiere the series in the US before rolling out later in the rest of the world.
In Season 4 of The Smurfs, Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Jokey, and Storm take back the stage as the stakes get higher, the pranks wilder, and the magic more unpredictable.
“Our series has always been a character-driven series,” shares William Renaud, who’s been directing the show since 2021 and returns for this fourth season, along with head writers Peter Saisselin and Amy Serafin. “With more than 100 Smurfs, we have plenty of stories to play with. Going back to our main protagonists in this season also allows us to bring back the legacy of the original comic books, while still tackling modern topics in a comedic way.”
This season also marks a bold leap forward in the Smurfs universe, with the introduction an impactful Smurfies Village, previously introduced at the end of season 3.
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| Credits Peyo Productions – Dupuis Édition & Audiovisuel – Ellipsanime Productions – KiKA – KETNET – RTBF – 2026 |
A vibrant new setting is filled with surprises and spirited Smurf girls, with Blossom, Storm and Willow becoming recurring characters in these fun-filled Smurfy adventures. “Their personalities aren’t tied to a function, but rather to emotions, or nature,” explains Renaud. “And their village mirrors this colorful, flower-filled state of mind.”
Combined, all these stories and character arcs directly connect with the series’ directing, continued Renaud. Fast-paced when necessary, and slower at other times, allowing the characters to shine while avoiding gratuitous and artificial staging, making children forget there’s a barrier between them and their favorite Smurfs.
“For me,” concludes Renaud, “the Smurfs are human beings like everyone else. They are guided by their emotions and humor, which is why kids love them so much. I mean, what could be more universal? They offer us a mirror to our flaws, like Chaplin in his time. They are not confined to a particular era, but rooted in humanity, and I think that’s the key to their enduring longevity.”
Nele de Wilde, executive producer and CCO Audiovisual & Music at Peyo Productions, agreed. “Truth be told, the Smurfs never cease to amaze us. Even after four seasons, there are still so many stories to be told, thanks to the legacy of Peyo. And while bringing the Smurfs to the screen in the last decades, we learned that the main characters like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty and Baby are still among the most popular characters with kids.”
Instead of creating new characters, the team chose to create new stories with these existing ones. “As the saying goes, you don’t change a winning team.”
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| ‘The Smurfs’ Season 3 key art, Credits Peyo Productions – Dupuis Édition & Audiovisuel – Ellipsanime Productions – KiKA – KETNET – RTBF – 2026 | Peyo Company |
The same goes for Peyo Productions’ longtime partners, still thrilled to be part of a success story. “The team truly brought ‘The Smurfs’ up to a totally smurfy new level, enlarging the world of the Smurfs with great stories that are bursting with fun and much-needed laughter in these times,” adds an enthused Sebastian Debertin, head of international content, acquisitions & co-productions at KiKA.
Paola Acosta Orjuela, animation co-production manager at RTBF, also lauded the balance Peyo Productions found with this new season, between staying true to the Smurfs’ identity and bringing something new.
That feeling was shared by Yann Labasque, director of youth programs at TF1 Group. “The Smurfs’ humor, energy and team spirit continue to captivate young audiences, and are a perfect fit for the playful, feel-good spirit of our children’s programming. Get ready for more fun-filled adventures!”
As the teams are heading back once again to Smurf village, De Wilde and Caroline Duvochel, executive producer and CEO at Ellipse Animation (which has worked for nearly 10 years on the series), underline together the great artists behind this one-of-a-kind European show.
“Most of the artists who worked with us are coming back to the project because they love playing with the Smurfs so much,” explained De Wilde. “And they keep sharing how fun it is to work on this series! For most, it’s a childhood dream. Also, a big shout out to our two in-house art directors, Luc Parthoens and Tom Cosijn, who make sure we stay true to the brand’s DNA and keep the top notch quality we have aimed for since the beginning.”
Smurfs fan around the world are in for many blue treats in the upcoming months. During the big anniversary coming in 2028 (70 years of Smurfs, 100 years of Peyo), Part 2 of Season 4 will be released, and Peyo Productions is working on more special content for this celebration year, which it will present at Mipcom.
How will be the new season of "The Smurfs"?
Peyo Company and partners unveils first look for the 52 x 11’ CG-animated series, wich enters production alongside Ellipse Animation, Nickelodeon, RTBF, Ketnet, KiKA, and TF1 ahead of the franchise's 70th anniversary.
Peyo Productions and Ellipse Animation have unveiled the first look at Season 4 of "The Smurfs" (52x11’), following the renewal of co-production and broadcast agreements with Nickelodeon, RTBF, Ketnet, KiKA, and TF1. The new season will be delivered in two parts, launching in late 2027 and continuing into 2028 to align with the Smurfs' 70th anniversary and creator Peyo’s 100th birthday celebration.
The fourth season, directed by William Renaud alongside head writers Peter Saisselin and Amy Serafin, centers on core characters Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Jokey, and Storm, while expanding on the colorful Smurfies Village introduced in Season 3. Broadcast deliveries will commence in Q4 2027 on TF1 (France), RTBF and Ketnet (Belgium), and Nickelodeon globally, followed by KiKA in Germany in 2028.
William Renaud, Director said: “The Smurfs has always been a character-driven series, and with more than 100 Smurfs, we have plenty of stories to play with. Going back to our main protagonists in this season also allows us to bring back the legacy of the original comic books, while still tackling modern topics in a comedic way. And as for our Smurf girls, it was key for us that they’d have their own identity. Their personalities aren’t tied to a function, but rather to emotions, or nature. My idea has always been to stay true to the story and the characters, avoiding gratuitous and artificial staging.”
“While bringing the Smurfs to the screen, we learnt that the main characters like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty and Baby are still amongst the most popular characters with kids. For this new season, instead of creating new characters, we felt it would be better to create new stories with our existing ones,” said Nele de Wilde, Executive Producer and CCO Audiovisual & Music at Peyo Productions.
Caroline Duvochel, CEO of Ellipse Animation, added: “Now in its fourth season, the magic of the Smurfs continues to work its wonders! The teams at Ellipse Animation are especially proud to have been contributing for nearly 10 years to this extraordinary series, driven by the humor, adventure, and optimism that lie at the heart of the universe created by Peyo.”
Sebastian Debertin, Head of International Content, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, KiKA: “What a pleasure to bring this hilarious and outstanding series with the co-production of the 4th season and the two specials back to the German audiences, especially in the light of the upcoming 30th anniversary of KiKA in 2027! ... Amy Serafin and Peter Saisselin truly brought the Smurfs up to a totally smurfy new level and enlarged the world of the Smurfs with great stories that are bursting with fun and laughter!”
Yann Labasque, Director of Youth Programs, TF1 Group: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Peyo Productions and Ellipse Animation and bring the Smurfs back to TFOU for a fourth season. Their humour, energy and team spirit continue to captivate young audiences and are a perfect fit for the playful, feel-good spirit of our children’s programming.”
Paola Acosta Orjuela, Animation Co-production Manager, RTBF: “RTBF is very happy to continue this long-standing collaboration with the Smurfs, a strong Belgian brand that continues to resonate with audiences. Over the years, we have built a relationship based on trust and teamwork... What I love about this new season is the balance between staying true to the Smurfs’ identity and bringing something new, with humour still at the heart of the series.”
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“We approach the characters and the stories in a very contemporary way”
William Renaud, Director of "The Smurfs" Season 4, discusses the creative direction for the upcomings series, detailing how contemporary themes, the introduction of the Smurfies Village, and character-driven storytelling keep the iconic franchise globally resonant.
Co-produced by Peyo Productions and Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel, the acclaimed 3D CGI series "The Smurfs" is preparing its fourth season for a 2027 debut. Produced by Véronique Culliford alongside executive producers Nele de Wilde and Caroline Duvochel, the upcoming 52x11’ installment builds on the original work created by Peyo. In this interview, William Renaud, Director of "The Smurfs" – Season 4, breaks down how the new season balances classic comic strip fundamentals with contemporary themes, introduces new emotional dynamics through the Smurfies, and maintains the universal human appeal that has driven the property's enduring global legacy across generations.
“The Smurfs” – Season 4 promises higher stakes, wilder pranks, and unpredictable magic. What are the key narrative dynamics and new adventures that viewers can expect in this upcoming installment?
“The narrative elements used in the fourth series are the same as in the previous series. The stories are mostly character driven. This means that the character is the driving force behind their own story and with over 100 Smurfs to choose from, we’re spoilt for choice. For this fourth series, we’ve also based ourselves on the fundamentals of the comic strips, by focusing stories on Gargamel and other main characters from the original Smurf books. We’ve also broached more contemporary themes like fake news, taking care of the environment and robotics, to ground the series in our times.”
A major highlight this season is the introduction of the Smurfies Village. What was the creative and strategic vision behind incorporating this vibrant new setting and its new characters into the franchise?
“It seemed obvious to us that, like in the comic strips, our 100 Smurfs need their female counterparts. But we didn’t want the female characters to just be a mirror image of the Smurf universe. We wanted the Smurfies to have their own identity, which is why their personalities aren’t the same as the Smurf ones, where they’re linked to a function or a personality trait. The Smurfies’ personalities are linked to emotions or nature. Their village doesn’t look like a clearing in the forest, but rather like a beautifully colored garden filled with flowers.”
With Gargamel returning to his most cunning and menacing self, how did you balance the show’s traditional slapstick humor and heart with more action-driven, high-stakes storytelling for today's audience?
“We approach the characters and the stories in a very contemporary way, which is why the series appeals to all generations. The themes are both deeply human and universal, they pull on the heart strings of the viewers. And emotions don’t change, even in a constantly evolving world. Moreover, the scenography serves the narrative: it has rhythm when needed and then slows down at other times. The idea is to stick with the story that is being told and what the character is going through, and to avoid gratuitous and artificial theatrical effects. The camera has to be from the point of view of the viewer, so that they can forget that there is a screen between them and the story that is being told.”
Spanning over six decades of global success, what do you think lies at the very core of The Smurfs’ enduring legacy across generations?
“To come back to what I was saying earlier, the Smurfs are humans like you and I. They are guided by their emotions and by humour - and there is nothing more universal than that. They serve as a mirror of our failings, like Chaplin back in the day. They’re not locked in the past, they’re grounded in humanity. I think that’s the main explanation for their longevity,”.
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Originally published: October 09, 2026.
