Some projects seem to be born out of meetings that have dragged on too long for anyone to dare say that maybe that wasn’t as good an idea as it sounds to top executives. We all have movie names in mind when we say this, but every year new names come out that make us wonder what the hell they were thinking when they greenlit those projects. And while there’s only one Cats, we can’t kid ourselves: a reboot of The Smurfs, half live-action and half animated, that’s also a musical, sounds like something that could go horribly wrong. Or at the very least, extremely funny.
In this regard, the latest news about The Smurfs movie is that Rihanna will voice the Smurfette. After making a surprise appearance at CInemaCon, an annual convention of movie theater owners in Las Vegas, the singer and actress stated that “I tried to get the role of Papa Smurf, but it didn’t work out”. Jokes aside, it has been revealed that the singer will write, record and perform original songs for the film, in addition to producing the project itself. Something that demonstrates an undeniable commitment to it, as well as tremendous faith in the film.
Many people will ask at this point, but is there actually a Smurfs movie in development? The answer is yes. Set for release sometime in 2025, we learned on February 7, 2022 that LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the owners of The Smurfs brand, had reached an agreement to produce several Smurfs films in conjunction with Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies, the first of which would be this as-yet-untitled project.
That said, it’s also worth remembering that Rihanna, when it comes to choosing roles, has had a rather peculiar mix of small successes and real box office catastrophes that makes it even more difficult to evaluate whether this new film adventure will end up working out well or not. Her first film, Battleship, was not only a box-office flop, but also won her a Razzie for worst supporting actress; her first step in animated films in Home: Home Sweet Home ended up passing without success; and her last big project, with a leading role in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, ended up in a film that ended up being a box-office and critical failure despite having some of the most recognizable faces of today’s cinema.
That doesn’t detract from the fact that, as we have pointed out, she also has her small victories. Her role as Marion Crane in the fifth season of Bates Motel was very well received, despite having to fill Janet Leigh’s iconic shoes; and Ocean’s 8 showed us a lighthearted and fun Rihanna in a film that was a hit both at the box office and with critics. Which is why it’s hard to be totally skeptical about what will happen with this movie.
Even if everything else we know about the film doesn’t invite even the most tempered optimism. Directed by Chris Miller, who made the third Shrek installment and the first Puss in Boots, and written by Pam Braddy, who co-wrote South Park with Trey Parker and Matt Stone until 1999, but has also written the screenplays for Hot Rod – Jumping Fate or The Bubble, it’s hard to predict what will come out of here. Something with a comedic encore, and certainly with very good music, but seeing the resume of those involved in it, maybe Rihanna is the person who will have to carry the burden of making sure this movie turns out well. Or that she is lysergic enough for us to forgive her everything.
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