The Weeknd continues his lead into the world of film, teaming with a fresh new filmmaker and some of the hottest young talent working today.
Deadline reports Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, awaiting his television debut in The Idol, has signed on to star in an as-yet-untitled new movie from Waves director Trey Edward Shults. While The Weeknd did have a small cameo role in 2019’s Uncut Gems, this will mark his first starring role in a feature film.
Joining The Weeknd in the film are Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, two of the most talked about actors in the past year. Ortega dominated 2022 with her breakout roles in slashers X and Scream before making Netflix kooky and spooky with Wednesday. The streamer series was a smash hit, and within three weeks of release, it became the second-most watched English-language Netflix series. It also received two Golden Globe nominations.
Barry Keoghan, on the other hand, proved himself a strong contender in the world of Hollywood. He made a brief cameo appearance in 2022’s The Batman, debuting a brand-new take on The Joker. Along with that, Keoghan starred in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Deadline notes Shults will direct from a script he co-wrote with Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim. The film is currently in production. Tesfaye, Fahim, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss are producing, with Shultz and Ortega exec producing. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
