MOVIE NEWS – The debate over whether the Smurfs are communists has been ongoing for a while. MovieWeb investigated the issue, especially since a new full-length animated film is coming out in February.

The Smurfs were created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (born Pierre Culliford) in 1958. The controversy began in 1998 when Australian cultural researcher Marc Schmidt wrote a semi-serious article suggesting the Smurfs were socialists. Antoine Bueno, a French sociologist, later claimed in 2011 that the Smurfs promoted Stalinist, racist, and anti-Semitic views.

Thierry Culliford, the son of the original creator, dismissed these claims as grotesque nonsense. However, the theories have persisted. In 2008, Evan Topham posted a YouTube video claiming that the Smurfs lived in a self-sustaining kibbutz and that the name SMURF stood for “Small Men Under Red Forces,” implying a communist agenda.

The Peyo family continues to deny these allegations, stating that their goal is simply to entertain children. Despite the controversy, the Smurfs franchise has generated $4 billion, a significant achievement for what some claim is a hidden communist utopia.

The new animated family film is directed by Chris Miller, who previously found success with Puss in Boots. According to the studio, the film seeks to explore who the Smurfs really are, making it a relevant endeavor given the ongoing debate.

(Smurfs – domestic release: February 13, 2025)