Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has secured his first starring role in a feature film, according to Variety.
The project, which the artist co-wrote and is also producing, is currently untitled, and plot details are not presently available. The film’s genre is also unknown, though it is known that Trey Edward Shults, the director responsible for Waves and It Comes at Night, is helming the project, which he also co-wrote. The movie will be shot in Los Angeles.
The Weeknd will be joined by a top-shelf cast, with Jenna Ortega (Wednesday and Scream VI) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin and The Killing of a Sacred Deer) on board to star alongside the musician. Shults is executive-producing the project, while Tesfaye’s business partner Reza Fahim (also a co-writer on the movie) is producing with Kevin Turne and Harrison Kreiss.
Cinematography will be led by Chayse Irvin, while The Weeknd will handle the score alongside OPN, whose real name is Daniel Lopatin. Notably, OPN previously scored films including Good Time and Uncut Gems.
Outside of this project, Tesfaye’s acting portfolio will soon include television, with his forthcoming starring role in HBO’s highly-anticipated series, The Idol, which he co-created alongside Sam Levinson and Fahim.
In more entertainment news, Netflix has announced a Pokémon Concierge stop-motion animation show.
