Rihanna to Make Movie Debut in 'Battleship'

After winning three Grammys, scoring seven #1 "Billboard" Hot 100 singles, and selling over 5.5 million albums in the U.S. -- all in only five years -- what is left for Rihanna to accomplish?

What about saving the world?

Variety announced on Tuesday that the 22-year-old singer will be making her movie debut in "Battleship," a big-screen adaptation of the Milton Bradley game. She will be joining Taylor Kitsch (TV's "Friday Night Lights") and Alexander Skarsgard ("True Blood") in the sci-fi action flick coming in May, 2012.

According to director Peter Berg ("Hancock"), the movie will pit the U.S. Navy against an invading alien force. He told LatinoReview.com the hero (played by Kitsch) is the captain of a destroyer, a 500-foot-long warship, with Skarsgard playing his brother. They are confronted by the alien armada and must engage in a battle for control of the Earth's seas.

He says that the strategic element of the game -- guessing where your opponent is hiding their ships and then narrowing in on them -- is at the heart of the conflict. Berg says that he chose to make the threat come from outer space, rather than another country, because, "I liked the idea of something about it being larger than life. I like the challenge that presented." And he enthusiastically stated that the classic line from the TV commercials -- "You sunk my battleship!" -- will appear in the film.

"Battleship" is just the first movie in a four-picture deal between Universal Pictures and Hasbro, the company that owns Milton Bradley and also had hit films from "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe." Michael Bay is planning to produce a movie centered on Ouija boards, and Ridley Scott is attached to direct a "Monopoly" film.

There's no word yet as to the character Rihanna will be playing (or if she'll have to change her latest cherry-red hairstyle for one more in line with Naval regulations). She's not giving up on music, of course. At her concert in Los Angeles last week, she surprised fans by welcoming Eminem on stage to perform their song from his latest album. She'll be appearing in a new video with him (and reportedly also featuring Megan Fox) for the song "Love the Way You Lie" soon.