Singer and actor Rihanna had to push her boundaries and challenge herself while working on the live-action Smurfs film. Apart from voicing the role of Smurfette, Rihanna has also backed the film and served as the musical head of the film.
Highlighting the "thrilling and challenging" experience, Rihanna explained, "It was invigorating and exciting for me to not only embody a character but also bring my musical life into the mix. We worked with music producers and choreographers whose work I admire. To put those two worlds together was a win-win for everyone. It pushed us all to challenge our artistry."
The cast also features John Goodman as Papa Smurf, as well as James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell and DJ Marshmello. Kimmel's role has not been revealed yet.
Smurfs follows Smurfette as she leads her tiny, blue-skinned kin into the real world to save Papa Smurf after he's mysteriously captured by evil wizards.
She also spoke about how Smurfs was a big part 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 added.
The Oceans 8 actor revealed that she could relate a lot to Smurfette's character and it mirrored the values she stood for. "First of all, I have 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. I was super-inspired by all of that. I think she loves music too and her favorite genres are hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeats, ballads, and house. That’s Smurfette. She needs options," she said, underlining that she took inspiration for her character from some real-life women.
Chris Miller directs the reboot from a script by Pam Brady. Miller has earlier helmed Shrek the Third and Puss in Boots. Smurfs is based on the comics created by the Belgian artist known as Peyo.
According to the makers, the upcoming film will be a "new, high-energy take on the classic franchise, the Smurfs are bigger, bolder, and bluer than ever before, bursting from their magical world into ours on an epic rescue mission."
Smurfs live-action film will be released in theatres on July 18.
