Now that he’s had an undeniably successful run in the music industry, Abel Tesfaye is turning his talents to acting. He’s been in plenty of his own creative visuals to accompany his songs over the years. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that he captured the world’s attention while playing himself in A24’s Uncut Gems alongside Julia Fox and Adam Sandler.
Since then, the Canadian has also tried his hand at voice acting on shows like American Dad! and The Simpsons, both of which received a positive response from fans. Later this year, he’ll appear in the Sam Levinson-directed series, The Idol alongside Lily-Rose Depp for HBO. As we eagerly wait for the arrival of that, more exciting news comes from The Weeknd’s camp today (February 28).
Abel’s Leading Man Debut
According to Variety, the “Blinding Lights” singer has co-written a movie script with Reza Fahim, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss. At this time, the story’s premise remains unknown, but so far, we know that a buzzworthy cast will be assisting The Weeknd. Tesfaye will take on his first leading role in the forthcoming film, with Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan appearing beside him.
Additionally, 20-year-old Jenna Ortega, who most recently found success as the lead in Netflix’s Wednesday, is on board. Trey Edward Shults will be sitting in the director’s chair, following his work on Waves and It Comes at Night. He also played a role in writing the unnamed project’s script and will be executive producing alongside The Weeknd. Shooting will take place in Los Angeles, with more updates likely to pour in over the coming months.
Jenny Ortega is Booked & Busy
For someone so young, Ortega certainly has a lot going for her. Not only did she entertain audiences in The Addams Family spinoff series, but she was also a staple in season two of You and the Scream IV film. Her working relationship with Tesfaye is an exciting development, but it has nothing on the possibility of the rising starlet working with Aubrey Plaza.
During this past weekend’s SAG Awards, the actresses presented an award together, causing Twitter to run rampant with pleas to have them cast in the same project. After hearing what fans want, the Parks & Rec alum responded, “I’m down. We’ll just kill everybody with our eyes.” Are you excited about Ortega and The Weeknd’s upcoming movie? Sound off in the comments, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.
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