It isn’t unusual for pop stars to transition to cinema after a certain stage in their careers. Often, these pivots end up serving both their music and acting journeys. But it appears thatThe Weeknd, who is trying to reclaim his given name,Abel Tesfaye, and bury his current on-stage persona, will have to try again after failing a second time this week. Tesfaye headlined the musical thrillerHurry Up Tomorrow, which opened to terrible reviews and tanked at the box office. He previously starred in the controversial HBO seriesThe Idol, which was canceled after a disastrous debut season a couple of years ago.
On both occasions,Tesfaye’s performance was singled out for criticism by both fans and critics. Directed byTrey Edward Shults,Hurry Up Tomorrowsees the pop star playing an exaggerated version of himself on screen. He played a musician inThe Idolas well. That show holds a “rotten” 19% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.Hurry Up Tomorrowhas somehow failed to cross this low bar. It’s currently sitting ona 13% Rotten Tomatoes score, with Collider’sJeff Ewingwritingin his reviewthat the movie’s “underwritten script takes too long to get anywhere exciting, and it never stops feeling like a sidecar to the album instead of a standalone feature film.”
He’s referring to a companion album of the same name, which Tesfaye is currently touring. In fact, his shows have been grossing more money than the movie has this weekend, according to Deadline.Hurry Up Tomorrowfailed to secure a spot on the top five list, as it was outperformed by holdover releaseThe Accountant 2. The movieonly made $3.3 million in its debut, againsta reported budget of $15 million. But, in addition to creating another hurdle in Tesfaye’s acting ambitions — perhaps he should consult withHarry Styles— the movie has also raised questions about co-starJenna Ortega’s bankability.
‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Also Stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan
Ortega broke out with Netflix’sWednesday, and went on to star in smash hits such asScream VandScream VI, and alsoBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. BeforeHurry Up Tomorrow, she co-starred alongsidePaul Ruddin A24’sDeath of a Unicorn, which underperformed with just around $12 million in its entire domestic box office run.Hurry Up Tomorrowalso stars the Oscar-nominatedBarry Keoghan, who is all set to playRingo Starrin directorSam Mendes’ ambitious four-part biopic of The Beatles.
You can watch the movie in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Hurry Up Tomorrow
