Pregnant Rihanna announces she will voice Smurfette in The Smurfs Movie at CinemaCon in Las Vegas

Rihanna made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon Day Four in Las Vegas on Thursday to announce that she will voice Smurfette in Paramount’s The Smurfs Movie.

The Lift Me Up hitmaker, 35, who is expecting her second child with rapper A$AP Rocky, walked onstage at Caesar’s Palace and made a fashion statement in a stonewash, denim cape dress and matching thigh-high boots.

She added a sparkling diamond and sapphire necklace, along with smaller dainty earrings that shimmered under the bright stage lights.

After the Grammy winner revealed that she will be lending her voice to Smurfette’s character in the live-action movie, the artist humorously stated, per Variety“I tried to get the role of Papa Smurf, but I couldn’t.”

Rihanna will not only star in the project, but will also be a producer, as well as writing and recording original songs for the film, which will hit theaters later in February 2025.

The star, who confirmed at the event that she was in the third trimester of her second pregnancy, was also joined by Paramount Animation head Ramsey Naito.

According to Variety, the upcoming film will focus on a “central” theme and the question that simply reads, “What is a Smurf?”

The story has been shown on the big screen before, including in 2011 with The Smurfs from Columbia Pictures, which grossed approximately $563 million at the box office. Stars who lent their voices included Neil Patrick Harris and Katy Perry, who was cast as Smurfette.

A sequel was released two years later in 2013 to negative reviews, and a reboot with a new cast premiered in 2017 titled Smurfs: The Lost Village.

Demi Lovato had voiced Smurfette with other celebrities joining the project such as Rainn Wilson and Joe Manganiello.

Further details or cast members for The Smurfs Movie have yet to be revealed as the project is still in the early pre-production stages.

Rihanna was enchanted for her surprise appearance at the annual CinemaCon, tossing her long locks into a stylish bun on top of her head.

Her makeup was classically done for the big announcement and consisted of a coat of mascara on her lashes, as well as a dark blue, smoky shadow around her eyes to match the colors of her ensemble.

A warm contour and blush were added to better highlight her cheekbones, while a shimmery nude shade was worn on her lips for a finishing touch.

The Umbrella hitmaker is no stranger to voice acting and had a starring role in the 2015 DreamWorks animated film called Home. She also acted in other film projects such as Battleship and Ocean’s Eight.

The star keeps herself busy as she prepares to welcome baby number two with Good For You rapper A$AP Rocky. The couple also share a son who will soon be celebrating his first birthday next May.

She made the big announcement that she was pregnant with her second child while performing at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show earlier this year in February.

In addition to diving into the movie industry, Rihanna has also been working on new music and the possibility of a new album for anticipated fans.

When talking to British Vogue for the March cover story earlier this year, the singer was asked if she had plans to release an album in 2023, to which she replied, “I want it to be this year.”

Like, honestly, it would be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos,” she further explained to the outlet.

The last album she released was in 2016 with ANTI, noting the “pressure” to share more music, but explaining, “that if it’s not better than that, it’s not even worth it.”

“I realized that if I keep waiting for this to feel good and perfect and better, it might last forever and might never come true and no, I’m not up to that,” Rihanna added.

So I want to play. And by play I mean I have my ideas in my head, but I can’t say them out loud yet.’

The Love On The Brain singer crossed paths with other celebrities at the event on Thursday, including film director Martin Scorsese, who was smartly dressed in a classic dark blue suit, along with a white shirt and red tie.

She was also seen posing for a picture with Seth Rogen, who was stylishly dressed in a dark green suit and satin shirt.

Rihanna was spotted with Ziggy Marley, who was at CinemaCon to promote the upcoming biopic about his late father, Bob Marley, called Bob Marley: One Love.

Current Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins smiled broadly when he got the chance to catch up with the award-winning singer.

The CinemaCon 2023 started earlier this week on Monday and ended on Thursday.