Rihanna was supposed to play herself opposite a wooden puppet and Adam Driver in Annette

Rihanna had a scene written for her in Annette (Picture: AP / Getty)

Annette already boasts Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard in the leading roles, but the fantastical movie musical nearly had even more star power.

Rihanna was originally supposed to star in Annette, playing herself and duetting with a wooden puppet.

Early reports of the film attached the star to the movie, and director Leos Carax explained that screenwriters Ron and Russell Mael – aka Sparks – had written a small role for Riri.

He told USA Today: ‘It was a small part written specifically for her. She was supposed to play Rihanna.

‘When Baby Annette becomes famous, there was a duet between the puppet and Rihanna. But then Rihanna feels upstaged by this baby.’

However, when Rihanna dropped out of the film, she was not replaced, and the scene was instead cut.

Annette is all about a stand-up comedian (Driver) and an opera singer (Cotillard) who get married after a whirlwind romance and welcome a daughter, Annette, who is portrayed by a wooden puppet. 

The rock opera, which features the main characters singing more than they speak, premiered at Cannes Film Festival and has received largely positive reviews, as well as a lot of attention from Adam Driver fans over the news that one scene sees him singing while performing cunnilingus. 

To be fair to Rihanna, that sounds like a lot to compete against for attention.

The 33-year-old has played herself in a number of films, including the celeb-packed This Is The End and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Recently, however, she has taken on other roles, including parts in Ocean’s 8 and Guava Island. 

Rihanna is officially a billionaire (Picture: Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

‘Actress’ is just another sub-heading on Rihanna’s CV, adding to ‘popstar’, ‘beauty mogul’ and ‘actual billionaire’.

The Work singer is officially in the billionaire club thanks to the syccess of her beauty company Fenty Beauty, which is worth a reported $1.4billion (£1bn). 

Forbes has estimated that Rihanna is worth $1.7bn (£1.2bn), making her the wealthiest female musician in the world and the second wealthiest female entertainer, behind Oprah Winfrey. 

More: Rihanna

As well as her beauty line, Rihanna’s lingerie brand Savage x Fenty and her music career have bulked up her earnings, despite the star not having released an album in five years. 

Well, she’s had a lot to keep her busy. 

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