Well, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, you tried. His cinematic leap, Hurry Up Tomorrow, belly-flopped at the box office, scraping together a measly $3.3 million globally during its opening weekend.
With a $15 million budget and the hype of his 180 million-strong fanbase, this psychological thriller, tied to his sixth album, was meant to be a slam dunk. Instead, it’s a reminder that Tesfaye’s magnetic stage presence doesn’t quite translate to the silver screen.
So, what turned this star-powered project into a cinematic snooze?
Directed by Trey Edward Shults, Hurry Up Tomorrow casts Tesfaye as a tormented, insomniac musician wandering through an existential haze. Sounds like a vibe, but the execution?
Not so much. Despite boasting Jenna Ortega as a deranged fan and Barry Keoghan’s brooding charm, the film landed a brutal 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and a C- CinemaScore.
Critics tore into its flimsy script, calling it a glorified music video that leans too hard on Tesfaye’s pop-star aura. One reviewer quipped his acting feels like “a karaoke star trying to emote,” leaving audiences more bored than bewitched.
Even Ortega’s Wednesday-fueled star power couldn’t jolt this $15 million misfire, which limped to sixth place domestically, dwarfed by Final Destination Bloodlines’ $51 million haul.
Tesfaye’s acting track record isn’t helping his case. His 2023 HBO series The Idol crashed and burned faster than a bad single, canceled after one season of scathing reviews.
Hurry Up Tomorrow follows the same script, with X users poking fun at its “fever dream” vibes and questioning why Tesfaye keeps chasing Hollywood.
One post joked he’ll “spend the $3.3 million on new shades by next week.” Meanwhile, his After Hours Til Dawn tour stop in Glendale, Arizona, raked in $8.7 million in a single night—nearly triple the film’s weekend take. Clearly, Abel’s better off belting hits than delivering lines.
Lionsgate, slyly pocketing their distribution fee, dodged the financial hit, but Tesfaye’s staring at a steep climb. With marketing costs, the film needs $30–45 million to break even, a target it’s nowhere near hitting.
Fans speculate he rushed the project to cash in on his music’s momentum, but the gamble backfired. Still, let’s not count him out. Tesfaye’s a global music titan, with a net worth north of $100 million before the flop and a new SKYLRK brand in the works.
This cinematic stumble is just a blip for a star who fills arenas with ease. The Weeknd’s true stage is the mic, and his fans know he’ll bounce back, crooning his way to new heights with that signature swagger.
