Image Source: Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez / CinemaCon
Rihanna is lending her voice to a brand new undertaking, but it surely’s not the ninth album followers have been hoping for since 2016. On April 27, the “Lift Me Up” singer made a shock look at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the place she introduced that she shall be enjoying Smurfette within the upcoming Smurfs musical film.
In addition to voicing the animated character, Rihanna joins the undertaking — directed by Chris Miller and Matt Landon — as a author and producer, in keeping with Entertainment Weekly. Notably, the Paramount adaptation will comply with a separate storyline from Sony’s three-part sequence, which starred Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, SofÃa Vergara, and Hank Azaria. The upcoming musical can even characteristic unique songs by Rihanna. It’s not the album we have lengthy been ready for, however new music is new music.
“I received to play an element and simply think about. I received to only be myself.”
Rihanna has showcased her appearing expertise in high-profile motion pictures like “Ocean’s 8” (2018) and “Battleship” (2012) up to now, however the live-action/animation hybrid movie marks the star’s first enterprise into voice appearing since “Home” in 2015. “I received to play an element and simply think about. I received to only be myself,” Rihanna, who’s anticipating her second youngster with A$AP Rocky, stated of enjoying the basic blue character. “I received to point out up in my pajamas in my third trimester and play a bit blue badass.”
In addition to giving Smurfette’s character her signature moxy, Rihanna added that she hopes the brand new function will give her “a bit little bit of cool factors” along with her children, together with her almost 1-year-old son. Jokingly, Rihanna added that she initially auditioned to play Papa Smurf, “but it surely did not work out.”
“On behalf of our studio and our artistic companions, we could not be extra excited to have discovered our Smurfette in one of the beloved stars on the earth,” Paramount stated. “With Rihanna’s singular artistic enchantment and musical skills, there is a gigantic alternative to raise the cultural touchstone of The Smurfs universe in a means that is by no means been carried out earlier than.”
“The Smurfs Musical” is slated for launch on Feb. 14, 2025, and nobody appears extra excited than Rihanna. During her time onstage, the star added that reimagining Smurfette was a “enjoyable journey” and that she will’t wait to see the undertaking realized onscreen. “The whole film goes to be so enjoyable,” she stated. “It’s so thrilling.”