>>1494335261. A focused, smarmy protagonist is easier to attract audiences than a giant cast of one-note characters.
2. Cats are more marketable (maybe the most marketable).
3. Smurfs are really gay. As in they're overly caring, happy, pacifists, loving, sensitive, and kind of boring. By comparison, Garfield is kinda cool cause he's a smartass and kicks Odie off the table.
Smurfs are less visually interesting ponies with a way worse gimmick (cutie marks vs. U GOTTA BE SMURFIN' ME).