'Tried to get the Papa Smurf role': Rihanna lends voice to Smurfette in Paramount's 'The Smurfs Movie'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During CinemaCon Day Four in Las Vegas, Rihanna surprised the audience by announcing her involvement in Paramount's upcoming live-action film, 'The Smurfs Movie'. The singer, who is currently pregnant with her second child, will lend her voice to the character of Smurfette while also serving as a producer and creating original songs for the film. According to reports, when the Grammy winner revealed her role as Smurfette, she humorously stated, "I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but it didn’t work out."
At the event, Rihanna made a fashion statement with her stonewash, denim caped dress and matching thigh-high boots. She accessorized with a diamond and sapphire necklace and dainty earrings that sparkled under the bright stage lights. Paramount Animation head, Ramsey Naito, also joined Rihanna on stage for the announcement. The film is scheduled for release in theaters in February 2025. Rihanna confirmed that she was in the third trimester of her pregnancy during the event.
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Rihanna 'tried to get the Papa Smurf role'
The 35-year-old pop star recently revealed that she will be the voice of Smurfette in Paramount's 'The Smurfs Movie'. According to Variety, Rihanna jokingly stated that she tried to get the role of Papa Smurf but couldn't land it. "I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but it didn’t work out", the pop star said. She was alongside Ramsey Nito, the head of Paramount Animation at the Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino. Not only will RiRi voice the little blue humanoid, but she is also the producer and will be writing and performing original songs for the movie. "I get to show up in my PJs in my third trimester," she exclaimed on stage at CinemaCon, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. She went on to express her hope that her involvement in the project will earn her "cool points" with her children in the future. “I hope this gives me cool points with my kids one day", said the singer.
Rihanna's past voice-acting breakthroughs
Rihanna has previously showcased her vocal talents in DreamWorks' animated feature 'Home,' which proved to be a box office hit with a worldwide gross of over $380 million. As for her live-action work, she has starred in movies like 'Battleship,' 'This Is the End,' 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,' 'Ocean's 8,' and 'Guava Island.'
The upcoming project in which Rihanna is set to star, write, produce, and record original songs is based on the comic books by the Belgian artist Peyo. The tribe of little blue creatures previously enjoyed a successful modern film franchise at Sony Pictures over a decade ago. The live-action hybrid films were directed by Raja Gosnell ('Scooby-Doo') and featured a star-studded cast including Neil Patrick Harris, Julia Roberts, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, and Joe Manganiello.
The most anticipated 'The Smurfs Movie' , directed by Chris Miller, with a script by Pam Brady, is slated to hit theaters on Feburary 14, 2025.