Rihanna Rocks as Smurfette: Check Out Her Performance in New Smurfs Trailer!

The eagerly awaited moment has arrived: Rihanna is making her musical comeback… as a character in an animated film. Paramount Pictures recently released the debut trailer for its new animated feature, Smurfs, where the music icon lends her voice to Smurfette and performs a rendition of Belinda Carlisle’s hit from 1987, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” The trailer not only gives us a glimpse into the storyline and the actors involved but also features a personal introduction by Rihanna herself, and teases upcoming “new music from Rihanna.” You can watch the trailer online.

Rihanna isn’t just a voice actor in Smurfs; she also served as a producer and contributed original tracks to the film’s soundtrack. “I tried to snag the role of Papa Smurf, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be,” Rihanna humorously remarked at a CinemaCon event in 2023, where she announced her role in the project. This role adds to her growing list of film credits, which includes appearances in Ocean’s 8, Battleship, This Is the End, and Childish Gambino’s Guava Island.

Directed by Chris Miller and Matt Landon, Smurfs is set to premiere in cinemas on July 18. The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring John Goodman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Offerman, Octavia Spencer, Sandra Oh, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, and Kurt Russell, to name a few. This iteration of the Smurfs franchise marks a departure from previous films, such as 2011’s The Smurfs with Katy Perry as Smurfette and 2017’s Smurfs: The Lost Village featuring Demi Lovato.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Rihanna has recently kept a lower profile. The superstar, who is now a mother of two with partner A$AP Rocky, had a banner year in 2023. She headlined the Super Bowl halftime show and shared updates about her much-anticipated, yet still unreleased, new album. Additionally, Rihanna performed her single “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the Oscars, where she was nominated for Best Original Song; the award, however, went to M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose for their song “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.

Learn more about Rihanna’s album Anti, which is ranked No. 12 in “The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s.”