We are seeing Rihanna continue her voice acting career, and her next role could be her biggest to date. Appearing alongside Paramount Animation head Ramsey Naito, at CinemaCon 2023, Rihanna broke the news that she’ll be voicing Smurfette in a new live-action/animation hybrid Smurf film.
“I tried to get the Papa Smurf role, but It didn’t work out,” says the actress/singer during her surprise CinemaCon appearance. What shocked fans the most is Rihanna made this surprise in-person appearance while in her third trimester of pregnancy with her second child.
During her appearance, we learned that Rihanna would star, write and record original songs and produce for The Smurf Movie. This won’t be the superstar’s first time featuring in an animation film, as she lent her voice to DreamWorks animated film Home; she also performed two songs for that film’s soundtrack. She’s also starred in Battleship, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and Ocean’s 8.
According to Ramsey Naito, the film will explore themes of identity and ask the central question, “What is a Smurf?” No other plot details or casting news was released during the CinemaCon 2023 panel.
The film comes from Puss In Boots director Chris Miller and is set for a Feb 14, 2025 release.
