Smurfs fever has officially set in with Empire International, the exclusive theatrical distributor of Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures in the Middle East, holding the premiere of Smurfs: The Lost Village across the regionlast weekend. The latest instalment of the Smurfs is of specific relevance as along with the English movie, an Arabic dubbed version of the film will simultaneously be released in cinemas around the Middle East on March 30, 2017 and will feature the voice of prominent TV personality, Raya Abirached as Smurf Willow.

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does.

The UAE premiere of the movie took place on March 25 at MOTIONGATE^TM Dubai, a part of Parks and Resorts, the region's largest integrated theme park destination, with the Arabic version screened at 12:00pm and the English following suit at 3:00pm.Fans were able to meet Raya Abirached and pose with her for pictures. It was a fun-filled day for the whole family who enjoyed one-day access to MOTIONGATE^TM Dubai, complete with entertainment by the Smurfs characters, magicians, face painters and Smurfs merchandise. MOTIONGATE^TM Dubai is the region's largest immersive Hollywood-inspired theme park and is also home to the Smurfs Village that offers five attractions including interactive play zones, exciting family rides and a charming theatre show.

The Arabic premiere for the movie was screened in Kuwait at Cinescape 360 Cinema in 360 Mall at 7:30pm on the same day. In Lebanon, the Arabic and English versions were screened at 2:00pm at Beirut Souks Cinemacity on March 26 and attended by the Belgium Ambassador in Lebanon,His Excellency Alex Lenaerts. All three premieres were graced by the presence of Raya Abirached herself. Finally, Belgium Ambassador in Qatar, His Excellency Christophe Payot, also showed support by participating in the special screening of the movie for Smurfs: The Lost Village fans at Novo Cinemas, Mall of Qatar on March 25.

Speaking about the movie, Raya Abirached, said, "The most rewarding and encouraging part of working on any movie is to be able to watch fans and their positive reactions, and to interact with them at the premieres. This fact is made doubly special when the film is an all-time favourite like The Smurfs. It is heartening to know that more movies are now being made more accessible to the regional audience and I am grateful to be a part of this movement. I really hope that more people make sure to catch Smurfs: The Lost Village while it's being screened in theatres from March 30."

Smurfs: The Lost Village is set for a March 30, 2017 release across cinemas in the region. For more information on the movie, visit Empire on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empiremovies/, #SmurfsMovieME.