Rihanna is thrilled that Smurfs is “finally being birthed”.
Rihanna lent her voice to the new Smurfs movie
The 37-year-old star voices the part of Smurfette in the new animated movie, and Rihanna is delighted that her kids can now finally enjoy the movie.
The chart-topping singer – who has RZA, three, and Riot, 23 months, with A$AP Rocky – told Extra: “We get to watch the movie together for the first time. I get to watch it in its full completion. So, that should be interesting.
“Everybody gets to watch it on the 18th. So, we’re really going for it now. It’s finally being birthed.”
Rihanna – who stars in the new movie alongside the likes of James Corden, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Alex Winter, and Hannah Waddingham – admitted that the film’s premiere felt “so far away” when the project began.
She said: “We’ve been working on it for so long. So, like, a few years now, actually. And it’s happening … You know, you start working on something and 2025 feels so far away and then we’re here.”
Despite this, Rihanna’s sons weren’t aware of her involvement with the movie.
However, the singer – who has largely put her music career on hold in recent years, in order to focus on other ventures – was looking forward to seeing the reaction of her boys.
Asked if they knew that she was playing Smurfette, Rihanna replied: “The boys know nothing, they’re being introduced to Smurf Village right now, the blue carpet, and next is going to be me watching their reaction when they realise my voice is coming out of the screen. I can’t wait for that one.”
Rihanna was a Smurfs fan during her younger years, and Ramsey Naito, the president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, thinks she’s perfectly suited to the role of Smurfette.
Ramsey recently told Variety: “When we first met with her, we learned that the Smurfs was her favourite show growing up, and from that moment, everything just clicked.
“It felt completely natural to reimagine the Smurfs for today’s audience with Rihanna as Smurfette because her genuine love for the franchise made her the perfect fit.”
Rihanna’s “passion” for the Smurfs franchise actually shone through during the production process.
The Paramount boss also observed that the film’s “secret ingredient is love”.
Ramsey said: “I think when you’re refreshing a beloved franchise like The Smurfs, the secret ingredient is love. And that love must come from people who truly care about the characters and their story.
“Rihanna brought that passion, and it shines through in every part of the film.”