ANTON YELCHIN REPRISES “CLUMSY” ROLE IN “THE SMURFS 2”

Even after a heroic trip to New York City, Clumsy Smurf has not developed any new, graceful moves. That’s OK – he knows that it’s what’s on the inside that counts most. So while he might not seem like an obvious choice for a rescue mission – and in fact, it’s his two left feet that bumble him into the job – he just might be a perfect choice after all, in Sony Pictures Animation's delightful comedy “The Smurfs 2.”

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Young actor Anton Yelchin (“Star Trek Into Darkness”) gives voice to the innocent, exuberant Smurf with a heart of gold, Clumsy. He says that coming back into the booth to record the character was as comfortable as wrapping oneself in a warm blanket. “We had already done the hard work, on the first film, of figuring out what the character was going to be, what he was going to sound like, so I could just enjoy myself,” says Yelchin. “The second time around, I was used to the way it works – in animation, lines can change, animation can change, and that gives you a freedom in the booth.”

“The first film was about Clumsy discovering that he doesn’t always have to just be clumsy; he can be heroic, too,” Yelchin continues. “I think `The Smurfs 2' builds on that – he’s still doing everything that got him the name Clumsy in the first place, but now, he thinks of himself as a hero, too – it’s fun to play with that idea. I enjoy playing Clumsy because he’s so much fun – he’s very sensitive and tender, but also very funny and silly. And did I mention he’s a hero? He’d be very upset with me if I didn’t mention that.”

In “The Smurfs 2,”, the evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world’s greatest sorcerer. It’s up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our time, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus – or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

Yelchin is one of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors. With highly acclaimed performances in “Star Trek,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Odd Thomas,” Yelchin is quickly becoming a household name.

Yelchin received critical acclaim for his starring role in Drake Doremus’ film “Like Crazy” for which he was honored with the Artist to Watch Award at 2011 Aspen Film Festival and the Hollywood Spotlight Award at the 2011 Hollywood Film Festival. He also garnered praise from critics for his performance as Porter Black in “The Beaver,” co-starring with Mel Gibson and director Jodie Foster.

His film credits include a starring role opposite Colin Farrell and Tony Collete in Disney/Dreamworks thriller “Fright Night,” and he starred in Charlie Bartlett as the title character opposite Robert Downey Jr.

 “The Smurfs 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.