Rihanna to Star as Smurfette in Untitled ‘Smurfs’ Animated Film

EXCLUSIVE: Wheelhouse DNA, Canada’s Frederator Studios and social media comedy star Adam Waheed are joining forces for an animated comedy series.

Note: This story contains spoilers from the “9-1-1” Season 6 finale.Filming for the Season 6 finale of “9-1-1” pushed Oliver Stark to the limit, and that’s just how he likes it.The first responder drama took a massive swing with its final episode at Fox, featuring a massive overpass collapse that put the lives of the entire crew of station 118 in danger. A mildly injured Buck (Stark) — who saw his own life hanging in the balance after being struck by lightning earlier this season — got to help rescue his teammates, including performing an elaborate stunt where he repelled back and forth to save people stuck in an ambulance hanging off the collapsed piece of highway.“That was one long take!” Stark shared with TheWrap.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor Esai Morales is in negotiations to star in the action thriller Shadow, which XYZ Films has boarded and will introduce to buyers this week in Cannes.

Another day, another intriguing thriller hits the Cannes market. Deadline reports that HanWay Films has a thriller about the dangers of AI on the Croisette with Elizabeth Banks and John C.

Pedro Pascal continues to line up buzzworthy projects. He’s signed on to star in “Weapons,” the new film written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously worked on “Barbarian,” one of the biggest hits of last year.

Richard Curtis I remember once watching an episode of “Game of Thrones” and thinking to myself: “My brother-in-law is right. My films are pathetic.” “Game of Thrones” have deadly dragons, I’ve got lukewarm cups of tea. They’ve got epic battles, I’ve got people being slightly off with each other. At the end of my films two people kiss – at the end of their episodes they cut each other’s heads off. So imagine my surprise and delight when I found myself on the phone to two of the stars of the show themselves: Kit Harington and Rose Leslie (who played Jon Snow and Ygritte). It wasn’t, alas, to talk them into appearing in “Notting Hill Apocalypse” or something juicy that would turn my career around. But on the other hand, it was about the gravest threat facing us all – not the Night King, but climate change.

When you look at the state of the “Star Wars” franchise, there are two different stories to be told. On the one hand, you have the TV side of things over on Disney+, which seems to be thriving.

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page. Jason Henkel came to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue an acting career, before he pivoted to working in animation production. But his experiences as a performer helped show him the kind of casting director he didn’t want to be. “I didn’t want to go into a field where I secretly felt, ‘I could do this better,’” he says. “And from the moment I became involved with voiceover, watching these amazing actors who were so great at manipulating their voices, I knew I could never do what they do.”

May the Fourth be with you, “Star Wars” fans. In honor the “Star Wars Day,” Disney+ has two new “Star Wars” series premiering on the streamer today, along with new trailers for each to build up hype.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Maggie and Grogu are teaming up for a galactic adventure in honor of May the 4th. Disney+ announced this week a new crossover short film between “The Simpsons” and “Star Wars.” Titled “Rogue Not Quite One,” an obvious play on the franchise’s 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the animated short will star the Springfield toddler as she evades the Empire in her very own aeronautical pram inspired by Grogu’s in “The Mandalorian.” In the four minute short, per the release, “Homer loses track of Maggie who hops in Grogu’s hovering pram for a hyperspace-hopping adventure across the galaxy. Facing a squadron of Imperial TIE fighters, Maggie brings the battle to Springfield in this epic short celebrating all things ‘Star Wars.'”

Ed Meza @edmezavar Emeraude Toubia is set to star in the high-concept horror film “Rosario,” the debut feature of director Felipe Vargas, who will shoot the pic in his native country of Colombia. Toubia, whose credits include the Freeform fantasy series “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments” and Gloria Calderón Kellett’s new Amazon Studios series “With Love,” stars as Rosario, a successful Wall Street broker forced to confront an unthinkable and otherworldly evil. When her estranged grandmother suddenly dies, Rosario has to spend the night with the body while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Trapped in the apartment by a heavy snowstorm and surrounded by unfriendly neighbors, Rosario is attacked by menacing supernatural forces that have possessed her grandmother’s corpse.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Anonymous Content has come on board California surf-themed animated feature adapted from illustrator AJ Dungo’s celebrated graphic memoir, “In Waves.” Produced by Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” marks the feature debut of Phuong Mai Nguyen (“Brazen”), and is being penned by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, whose screenwriting credits include “After Love” and “The Origin of Evil.” The feature is produced by Priscilla Bertin and Judith Nora, co-Founders of Silex Films, alongside Charades and Nick Shumaker, Garrett Kemble, and David Levine who will executive produce on behalf of Anonymous Content.

Do you folks remember, not that long ago, during Star Wars Celebration, when Kathleen Kennedy told the press that Kevin Feige was never really attached to a “Star Wars” film and it was just the fandom that made it all up? She actually said, “We never discussed an idea,” and basically, gaslit everyone into thinking it was all a rumor. Of course, we know that’s not true because Feige talked about it, Michael Waldron talked about being hired to write a script, and now, we have the Russo Brothers, who not only confirm that Feige was working on a “Star Wars” film with Lucasfilm but that they were discussing possibly signing on to direct.

It’s been nearly four years since Todd Haynes released a new narrative feature film. Thankfully, that’s changing later this year with the release of his new film, “May December.”  READ MORE: ‘Superstar’: Todd Haynes Says His Banned Carpenters Movie May Finally Get An Official Release And with a Cannes debut on the horizon for Todd Haynes’ “May December,” Variety has just published a first-look photo of the new film which stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.

James Bond fans are 'stirring' after some have suggested the upcoming 'shake' up of the franchise could see Richard Madden don the famous white tuxedo. The actor, 36, is best known for his role as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones and has been among the favourites in the race to be the next 007 ever since Daniel Craig called time on his stint as the British secret agent.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Netflix has set Xavier Gens’ (“Gangs of London”) untitled Paris-set genre movie starring Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist“) and Nassim Lyes (“Overdose”) as its next French film original. Set in the Summer of 2024, the film unfolds in Paris which is hosting the World Triathlon Championships on the Seine for the first time. Sophia, a brilliant scientist, learns from Mika, a young environmental activist, that a large shark is swimming deep in the river. To avoid a bloodbath at the heart of the city, they have no choice but to join forces with Adil, the Seine river police commander. Bejo and Lyes star in the film opposite Léa Léviant. The film is produced by Let Me Be and is slated for a launch on Netflix in 2024.

Rihanna is about to be the only girl in the world. 

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Rihanna has been cast in the voice role of Smurfette, in a new animated feature from Paramount Animation. The superstar showed in person to CinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theater owners, to make the announcement. “I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but It didn’t work out,” the singer joked on stage at Daesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino. Appearing with Paramount Animation head Ramsey Naito, it was revealed that Rihanna will star, write and record original songs, and produce the upcoming projects. Rihanna previously lent her voice to the DreamWorks animated feature “Home,” which grossed over $380 million at the worldwide box office. Her live action screen credits include “Battleship,” “This Is the End,” “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” “Ocean’s 8” and “Guava Island.”

McKinley Franklin editor Amazon has acquired the animated film “Merry Little Batman” after it was previously scrapped at HBO Max. “Merry Little Batman” has been picked up alongside the spinoff series, “Bat-Family.” The acquisitions follow the previously announced two-season order for “Batman: Caped Crusader,” which was similarly axed at HBO Max in 2022. “We are excited to partner with Amazon to begin an all-new animated chapter of ‘Batman.’ From the cinematic noir storytelling of ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ to the comedic adventures of ‘Merry Little Batman’ and ‘Bat-Family,’ these new projects ensure that there will be an animated Batman story ready to excite fans of all ages,” said Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.

saving ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ from HBO’s chopping block in March, Prime Video has announced that it will be adding the family-friendly movie ‘Merry Little Batman’ as well as the series spinoff ‘Bat-Family’ to its library. Both projects come from Warner Bros.