AceShowbiz -

The U.S. theatrical release of "The Smurfs" is facing a delay. Two weeks shy of Disney's revelation that "Tron Legacy" will be released on the same date as the planned release for "Smurfs", Sony Pictures came out with a new date, placing the CG-animation out of the studio's 2010 slate, as reported by Coming Soon.

Pulling out "Smurfs" from the crowded December 17, 2010 schedule, Sony pushed back the movie for about seven months to the July 29, 2011 release. With the new date given, this 3-D movie will be available in theaters a week after Marvel Studios releases "The First Avenger: Captain America" on July 22, 2011.

Sony's decision to move "Smurfs" has been predicted by many earlier since the studio has two feature films coming out on the same day, "Smurfs" and "The Green Hornet". Beside, if it stayed on the date, it will also have to compete with "Tron Legacy" and Warner Bros. Pictures' animation "Yogi Bear".

"The Smurfs" originally appeared in the Johan and Peewit comic book series. The story of a group of small sky blue forest-dwelling creatures then spawned into comic book series as well as Hanna-Barbera Productions' animated television series which was widely popular in the '80s.

David Stem and David Weiss, the writers of "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the Third", will provide the script alongside scribe Audrey Wells. The movie that uses a mix of live action and CG will be directed by "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" helmer Raja Gosnell.