Very few people are excited about the prospect of a live-action/CGI hybrid movie based on the animated childhood favorite, The Smurfs. Even so, when it was announced that fan-favorite Hank Azaria would be playing the evil Gargamel, you couldn’t help but giggle a little at the thought.

Now comes the very first image of Mr. Azaria in full Gargamel makeup and attire by way of Splash News (via ComingSoon), and fans of the old cartoon and this casting choice will surely enjoy taking a peek at how the actor looks.

Brew your favorite potion, say the magic words, and slip over to the bottom of this post to see Hank Azaria as Gargamel in The Smurfs!

Azaria is pretty darn creepy looking, but in a goofy, cartoony kind of way. If nothing else is even remotely entertaining about this movie, the Gargamel performance will have some form of comedic value to it, and that alone may make it worth a peek when it eventually shows up on TV one night.

All I can say about this is that I really hate the fact that it’s in New York. Why do these people always think that the only way these cartoon adaptations can work is if the characters find themselves somehow in New York City running around? The Smurfs and other shows like it have worked for so many years, so leave them in the setting that they have worked so well in! I’d much rather see that than Gargamel running around NYC as the “crazy out of place guy”; we all already know the jokes that will come of that scenario.

What do you think of Azaria as Gargamel? See the images below and share your thoughts. Head over to ComingSoon for more.

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