Rihanna stunned attendees at CinemaCon, Las Vegas’ annual convention of movie theater owners, by announcing her involvement in a new live-action hybrid feature from Paramount Animation, The Smurfs Movie, Variety shares. The singer revealed she has been cast in the voice role of Smurfette and will also write and record original songs, as well as produce the upcoming project.
“This is a delight. Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me,” she said at the event. “I get to show up in my pajamas in my third trimester and get to play a little blue bad[expletive].”
In addition to her voice work, Rihanna also confirmed that she is currently in her third trimester of pregnancy with her second child. Dressed in a stonewash denim cape, she joked with the audience, “I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but it didn’t work out.”
🎥: Rihanna At CinemaCon 2023
priscillaono ig story pic.twitter.com/p5OkgFTqeq
— RihannasNavyBih (@ririnavybih) April 27, 2023
The film, set to hit theaters on Feb. 14, 2025, will be directed by Chris Miller and written by Pam Brady. According to Paramount Animation head Ramsey Naito, it will explore themes of identity and answer the question, “What is a Smurf?”
This isn’t Rihanna’s first foray into animation. She previously lent her voice to the DreamWorks animated feature “Home,” which grossed over $380 million at the worldwide box office. Her live-action screen credits include Battleship, This Is the End, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Ocean’s 8, and Guava Island.
The upcoming Paramount Animation slate includes Seth Rogen’s take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a new adventure for SpongeBob Squarepants,” and another ride for Paw Patrol.
Rihanna's announcement comes as a big boost for the movie industry and the excitement and buzz generated by the singer's surprise appearance will undoubtedly help promote the film and raise awareness.
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