The 35-year-old singer surprised fans with an appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday, joking: "I tried to get the Papa Smurf part but it didn't work out."

She will also write and record original songs for the film, and will be credited as a producer.

Speaking about the new live-action film on stage at the Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino, she said: "Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me.

"In this, I got to play a part where I got to just imagine, I got to be, I got to show up in my pyjamas in my third trimester and play a little blue s***."

The pregnant star, who already has an 11-month-old son with rapper A$AP Rocky, is currently expecting her second child.

She added: "I hope this gives me a little bit of cool points with my kids one day."

The Smurfs Movie, which is being made by Paramount Animation, will explore themes of identity and ask the central question - "What is a Smurf?"

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This isn't Rihanna's first shot at voice acting, having previously played a voice role in DreamWorks animated feature Home, which grossed over $380m (£305m) at the worldwide box office.

While 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.

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The Smurfs are a tribe of little blue creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest, created by Belgian artist Peyo in 1958.

They have since been turned into various films and TV series, including a trio of live-action movies made by Sony in 2011, 2013 and 2017 and voiced by stars including Neil Patrick Harris, Julia Roberts and Katy Perry.

Smurfette, who was the first female Smurf to be introduced into the series, was played by singer Demi Lovato in the last movie.

The film, which will be directed by Chris Miller and written by Pam Brady, is due to hit cinemas in February 2025.