Rihanna Will Star in, Score, and Produce a New ‘Smurfs’ Movie
Step aside Trolls: Rihanna is here to slay as a Smurf.
With Universal’s animated musical “Trolls” franchise going strong with the upcoming “Trolls Band Together,” Paramount Pictures during Thursday’s CinemaCon presentation unveiled an untitled “Smurfs” animated film starring Oscar-nominated Grammy winner Rihanna as Smurfette.
Rihanna is creating and performing original music for the film and also serving as a producer. The “Smurfs” movie will debut in theaters February 14, 2025, from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.
Chris Miller and Matt Landon (“22 Jump Street,” “The Lego Movie”) co-direct the “Smurfs” film, based on characters created by Peyo. “South Park” producer and “Team America: World Police” writer Pam Brady penned the screenplay. In addition to Rihanna, Ryan Harris, Laurence “Jay” Brown, and Tyran “Ty-Ty” Smith produce.
“Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me,” Rihanna said at CinemaCon. “I’m usually front and center with everything with my likeness…but this was fun, I got to imagine, I got to show up in my pajamas in my third trimester, and be a blue badass.”
“I hope this gives me a little bit of cool points with my kids one day.”
The “Smurfs” film franchise began in 2011 with “The Smurfs” starring Neil Patrick Harris, Sofia Vergara, and Katy Perry, who played Smurfette. Rihanna is now taking over the role. Sequel “The Smurfs 2” debuted in 2013, followed by 2017’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” during which Demi Lovato played Smurfette. Julia Roberts, Jack McBrayer, Ariel Winter, and Danny Pudi starred in “The Lost Village,” but no additional casting announcements for the upcoming untitled film have been made yet.
Rihanna recently performed “Lift Me Up” at the 2023 Academy Awards, where she was nominated for Best Original Song for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has eight multi-platinum albums and has 14 singles that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Rihanna’s last full-length release, “Anti,” came out in 2016. Since the release, Rihanna has focused on her Fenty empire and becoming a certified billionaire mogul. The “Take a Bow” singer performed while pregnant with her second child during the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona earlier this year.
Rihanna previously starred in 2012’s “Battleship” and appeared as herself in 2013 comedy “This Is the End.” She also starred in the 2014 remake of musical “Annie” and had a two-episode stint in series “Bates Motel.” The “Umbrella” singer additionally starred in “Ocean’s 8” and “Guava Island,” making her last onscreen film appearance in 2019.
Rihanna made her voice acting debut in 2015 with “Home.” The “Smurfs” film will be her second animated feature.