[6] A sequel, The Smurfs 3, was initially planned for a summer 2015 release, but was cancelled in favor of a fully animated reboot, Smurfs: The Lost Village, which was released on April 7, 2017 and directed by Kelly Asbury, with Sony and Kerner returning to produce the film while having an all new cast (with the exception of Frank Welker as Azrael).

Smurfette still refuses to give Gargamel the formula until she sees the Naughties are dying due to a lack of Smurf essence.

He then falls onto the Notre Dame Cathedral, where he accidentally brings a stone gargoyle to life, which then throws him to the top of the Eiffel Tower and blasted into the air by fireworks.

In two post-credit sequences, Gargamel and Azrael are pulled into the portal after fireworks from Eiffel Tower, sending them back to their castle, and they later have a fight.

Gosnell, the director of the film, explained: "She came to Paris and did a tiny little cameo for us, but ultimately for story clarity we had to omit that scene.

[19] Sony teamed up with marketing partners in the United States and Canada to promote the film through McDonald's Happy Meals with a set of 16 toys during the summer of 2013.

[20] Sony also teamed up with Build-A-Bear Workshop to release three customized limited edition stuffed animals of Vexy, Hackus and Smurfette.

The website's consensus reads, "Like its predecessor, Smurfs 2 may amuse small children, but it's largely an unambitious, charm-free collection of slapstick gags and one-liners.

[29] Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter said "Beyond a few chuckle-worthy one-liners and some amusing visual comedy, there's not much to engage adults, although the wee ones should be distracted enough.

"[32] Loren King of The Boston Globe gave the film two out of four stars, saying "That the mushroom- dwelling blue creatures still manage to be endearing even in their second big-screen extravaganza (in 3-D, no less) is about the best that can be said of "Smurfs 2.

"[33] Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said "It's not exactly "Ratatouille," but this quasi-animated movie makes an amusing late-summer vacation from superheroes and shoot-'em-ups.

"[36] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "This insipid, and sometimes awkward, blend of animation, computer generation and live action wastes a ton of talent and lacks a true sense of whimsy.

"[37] Jordan Hoffman of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of five stars, saying "Voicing Papa Smurf here turned out, alas, to be comedian Jonathan Winters' final role.

"[40] Sean O'Connell of The Washington Post gave the film two out of five stars, saying "I found "The Smurfs 2" to be more enjoyable and far less obnoxious than [the original].

This, of course, is like saying having a cavity filled is preferable to a root canal, but in the dog days of the summer blockbuster season, beggars can't be smurfers.

"[41] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film zero stars out of four, saying "There's a dark and gratuitously negative vibe to "The Smurfs 2" that makes it unfit even for the undiscriminating young moviegoers that made the first one a hit.

"[42] Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film two out of five stars, saying "There are a few laughs here and there, along with a couple of jokes for grown-ups uncomfortably squeezed in.

"[43] Nick Schager of The Village Voice said "Its tolerant messages remain buried beneath lame pop-culture references, hectic slapstick, fart jokes, and endless Smurf-puns that (Azaria's funny, over-the-top cartoon villainy aside) make one pine for the Smurfpocalypse.

"[45] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C, saying "The trouble with this stunted sequel is that the doughy, blobby-hatted Smurfs are mostly window dressing for an abrasive slapstick bash built around a tiresome kidnap plot.

By marginally addressing the Smurfette Problem, Smurfs 2 is at least slightly superior to the absolutely dire first film, but it remains a series for kids whose parents can't just pop in a DVD of something better.

[28] Earning $200 million less than its predecessor,[49] the film did not meet Sony's expectation,[50] which was generally attributed to the original's negative reception and competition from another family sequel, Despicable Me 2.

[59] Initially set for a release in summer 2015,[60][61] Sony announced in March 2014 that plans for The Smurfs 3 had been cancelled and instead, it would reboot the series with a completely computer-animated film.

[62] Directed by Kelly Asbury, the reboot titled Smurfs: The Lost Village, was released on April 7, 2017, to mixed reviews, but was seen by both critics and audiences as an improvement over the live action films.