"Hurry Up Tomorrow" Official Trailer: The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan Star in Neon-Drenched Psychological Drama Directed By Trey Edward Shults

Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd collaborates with writer-director Trey Edward Shults for a cinematic companion to his final studio album.

You’d think that after co-creating and co-starring in HBO’s sexually provocative music industry satire The Idol—which became a lightning rod for critics and cultural writers debating its merit—pop artist The Weeknd would take a break from acting, let alone producing and writing another project. But no, he’s back at it again. This time, it’s a feature film, serving as a companion piece to his sixth studio album, also titled Hurry Up Tomorrow. He’s also calling this album his final project under The Weeknd moniker, which raises the question: Is Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) gearing up to transition into movies full-time? Because, of course, Hollywood is always in need of more pop stars-turned-movie stars, right?

So, here ya go! Check out the official trailer for Abel Tesfaye's latest vanity project, Hurry Up Tomorrow, in which he stars as "a musician plagued by insomnia" who is soon "pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence."

Here’s the skinny: The film was made on a reported $20 million budget under Euphoria and The Idol producer Kevin Turen, with collaborations between Manic Phase and Live Nation. However, it reportedly sat on the shelf for a year without attracting buyers—likely due to the lingering controversy over The Idol’s troubled production. It certainly didn’t help that Abel Tesfaye’s acting in the HBO series was widely panned by just about everyone who watched it. So, the fact that the same writers (Tesfaye and Reza Fahim) and producers from The Idol are also heavily involved in this new feature doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

But that doesn’t mean the movie has nothing going for it. Acclaimed filmmaker Trey Edward Shults—who has proven himself as a rising talent with indie hits like the Thanksgiving breakdown thriller Krisha (2015), the psychological post-apocalyptic horror It Comes at Night (2017), and the emotionally wrenching tragedy Waves (2019)—was also deeply involved in both writing and directing this film.

And just judging by the trailer alone, the film looks absolutely stunning, as Trey Edward Shults worked with acclaimed cinematographer Chayse Irvin (Blonde, BlacKkKlansman, and Beyoncé’s Lemonade) to get that neon-drenched noir look that feels like something straight from a magazine cover.

Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan, and country music singer Gabby Barrett also star, adding a little more legitimacy—even though we can't help but think this is simply The Weeknd’s vehicle to help promote his album.

Nevertheless, Hurry Up Tomorrow (the movie) is coming to theaters on May 16, courtesy of Lions Gate. And the album is out now.