Abel Tesfaye’s latest foray into film has hit a sour note. Hurry Up Tomorrow, the psychological musical thriller led by the artist formerly known as The Weeknd, stumbled out of the gate with a modest $3.3 million opening weekend, well below expectations for a high-profile release co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the film casts Tesfaye as a troubled musician navigating fame, paranoia, and identity — not far from the character he played in HBO’s The Idol, which was axed after a critically panned season. Despite the promise of a more refined narrative and a companion album to support it, Hurry Up Tomorrow has failed to connect with either critics or moviegoers.
The reception has been largely negative. Currently holding a 16% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has drawn fire for lacking narrative weight, poor writing and it seem Tesfaye’s performance has again come under scrutiny — echoing the criticism he received for The Idol.
While Tesfaye continues to perform to sold-out arenas on tour, the contrast between his musical success and cinematic missteps is becoming harder to ignore. According to Deadline, his concert ticket sales have already outpaced the film’s opening gross. With a reported $15 million budget, Hurry Up Tomorrow will need a strong international or streaming showing to avoid financial disappointment.
The fallout may not stop with Tesfaye. Jenna Ortega, once heralded as a rising box office draw following Wednesday and Scream, now faces questions about her pull at the multiplex. Her last film, Death of a Unicorn, also underperformed. Meanwhile, Barry Keoghan’s upcoming turn as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopic remains highly anticipated, and likely unaffected by this detour.
Hurry Up Tomorrow was meant to be a bold crossover event. Instead, it’s another cautionary tale about the difficulty of translating musical stardom into movie success — especially when the film feels more like a concept album than a compelling story.
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