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Besides being one of the producers and composers for Smurfs, Rihanna also voices Smurfette, the female Smurf and one of the main protagonists in the movie. Chris Miller's Smurfs reboot arrives in movie theaters on Friday, July 18, 2025.
In an interview with Variety, published on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito revealed why they chose the Umbrella singer for the character. He said that Rihanna's childhood connection and "genuine love" for the Smurfs made her the "perfect fit" to voice Smurfette in the movie.
"When we first met with her, we learned that the Smurfs was her favorite 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," Naito commented.
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He added that the multi-Grammy-winning singer's love and passion for the franchise and the characters were a vital part in making the movie. He said that refreshing franchises like The Smurfs are a labor of love by people who care about the characters and the stories they tell. In Naito's opinion, RiRi "brought that passion."
While speaking to Variety, Smurfs director Chris Miller said that the Diamonds singer was "very insightful" while working on the movie. Rihanna released the song Friend of Mine on May 16, 2025, as part of the Smurfs soundtrack.
Rihanna talks Smurfette and why her new movie is deeply personal
Rihanna's personal connection to The Smurfs franchise was among the reasons why she was the "perfect" cast to voice Smurfette, as mentioned by Ramsey Naito in the Variety interview. The We Found Love singer also shared her thoughts on how the franchise was close to her heart in an exclusive interview with Elle India, published on July 4, 2025.
For the Grammy-winning singer, the film was a deeply personal one because it reminded her of her childhood.
"So many mornings, I woke up long before I was supposed to get ready for school just to get that dose of Smurfs," she said.
Now that RiRi has kids of her own, the singer added that the franchise would not be just a part of her childhood, but that of her kids' as well. She hoped that they would be fans of the animated film and shared her excitement about watching the movie with them, seeing the surprise on their faces once they heard her voice through Smurfette.
As for the character she voices in the animated film, the Lift Me Up singer admitted that she felt a connection with Smurfette and her story.
"I related so much to Smurfette and what she stood for. First of all, I always loved makeup and hair. We all know that. And she's an esthetician. She's also a powerful leader, independent, strong, beautiful, sassy, witty, and very empathetic," she shared.
Besides Rihanna, James Corden, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Daniel Levy, and Amy Sedaris are also a part of the cast of Smurfs. As per the synopsis, the Smurfs reboot will center around Smurfette becoming the stand-in leader for the Smurfs "on a mission into the real world" to save Papa Smurf, who was kidnapped by Razamel and Gargamel.
Catch Rihanna as Smurfette's voice in Smurfs, arriving in movie theaters on July 18.
