Abel Tesfaye Is 'Brainstorming' His Next Move With ‘The Weeknd' Stage Name: 'We Don't Have Any Definite Answers'
After past performances in Uncut Gems and The Idol, Abel Tesfaye is continuing to solidify himself as an actor, and on Tuesday night debuted his starring role in Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Lionsgate project, as a musician on the verge of a mental breakdown who is pulled into an existential odyssey by a mysterious stranger. The film is a companion piece to his album of the same name, which was released in January.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Rihanna to Release First Song in Three Years for 'Smurfs' Soundtrack
Celine Dion Makes Surprise Video Appearance at Eurovision Song Contest: "Music Unites Us"
Pro Sound Effects Library Teams With Musical AI to Create Licensed Training Datasets
Trey Edward Shults directed the movie, and Tesfaye told The Hollywood Reporter at the New York premiere he is someone 'I've been such a fan of and watching the film, the first cut, and praying that it fit in his body of work — luckily it does and I'm really proud of that because I'm a huge fan.'
The Weeknd reveals the impact creating the film #HURRYUPTOMORROW had on him and his plans for filmmaking in the future. pic.twitter.com/UeFbP8P6A9
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 13, 2025
When it comes to the future of his acting journey, the musician noted, 'It's all art to me, so if it connects with me and I feel inspired to make it, then I'm gonna make it.' The film also comes at a time when Tesfaye has spoken about retiring his stage name and has previously signaled that Hurry Up Tomorrow would likely be the final chapter of The Weeknd. But when asked about that decision on the carpet, he said, 'We're brainstorming it right now. I feel like we don't have any definite answers, but I haven't dropped it yet because I'm on tour, so I've still gotta get out there and see the fans.'
Ortega — wearing the iconic Christian Dior newspaper dress that Carrie Bradshaw wore in Sex and the City — explained that the 'whole point of the film is it's supposed to be very enigmatic' and highlighted the value of her 'support system' in Tesfaye, Keoghan and Shults.
Jenna Ortega, Abel Tesfaye and Barry Keoghan take pics together at the #HurryUpTomorrow premiere pic.twitter.com/eDdNAUUo4R
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 13, 2025
'It's challenging to insert yourself into such a personal story for somebody else and allow them to be vulnerable and create a safe space to do that but then also share your own experiences,' she acknowledged.
The star also spoke about her desire to direct, after recently revealing she wants to direct a script she's been working on for 10 years. When asked if fans can expect her in the director's chair soon, Ortega responded, 'I don't know, there's also a lot of pressure on it, but I really would. I think I would rather wait for the right time and when I feel ready — and I'll know when that happens but when I do it, I want to be able to give all my time and effort in it. I'm working on projects I'm really excited about right now so maybe, everything needs its due time.'
At the #HURRYUPTOMORROW premiere, Jenna Ortega talks about the possibility of directing in the future pic.twitter.com/z2ghtci8nc
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 13, 2025
Hurry Up Tomorrow hits theaters on Friday.
Neha Joy contributed to this report.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
"A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV
The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
The Weeknd: Photos of Abel Tesfaye through the years, from tours to 'The Idol'
The Weeknd: Photos of Abel Tesfaye through the years, from tours to 'The Idol' 40 PHOTOS
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Shakira, Blackpink and more: 10 must-see Southern California concerts this summer
Craving a break from the desert heat? Or just missing the desert music festival season? This summer, let the music guide you to cooler temperatures with concerts that are well worth the drive to Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. From The Weeknd's soulful anthems to Linkin Park's dynamic energy, Southern California has something for fans of all music genres this season. Here are 10 concerts that The Desert Sun recommends checking out. After gaining popularity by posting covers of songs on Instagram and TikTok, Riverside resident and Mexican music singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo performed at the Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits festivals in 2023, and at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. For those who can't get enough of his songs "RELOG" and "Baby Please," he'll perform on June 14 at Pechanga Arena. If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 14, Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. Tickets are available at Remember that time when Shakira was going to perform two shows last November at Acrisure Arena but pulled a "Whenever, Wherever" and canceled over an "unprecedented demand," shifting the tour to stadiums? Well, it makes sense considering she's a superstar and it's been seven years since her last U.S. tour. If you're still up for seeing the Colombian singer-songwriter, she'll perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 20. If you go: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, SoFi Stadium, 1001 Stadium Drive, Inglewood. Tickets are available at The Weeknd has been busy over the past five years. He's evolved his sound since the 2020 synth-pop driven album "After Hours," the experimental "Dawn FM" in 2022, and "Hurry Up Tomorrow" released in January, which might be the singer's final album under The Weekend persona. The Weeknd will perform four concerts June 25-29 at SoFi Stadium. If you go: 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 through Sunday, June 29, SoFi Stadium, 1001 Stadium Drive, Inglewood. Tickets are available at Blackpink in our area! The renowned female K-pop band featuring Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa is on tour this summer and performing two dates at SoFi Stadium July 12-13. Lisa and Jennie both performed solo sets at Coachella 2025 following Blackpink's headlining performance in 2023. For those who have never seen the band, expect an energetic performance full of pyrotechnics and surreal moments. If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, SoFi Stadium, 1001 Stadium Drive, Inglewood. Tickets are available at Pop star Katy Perry didn't get the public response she expected in April after joining TV personality Gayle King and journalist Lauren Sanchez to visit outer space on a Blue Origin space mission. But as she sings in "Firework," you gotta ignite the light and let it shine. She'll perform on July 13 at the Honda Center in Anaheim as part of "The Lifetimes Tour." Expect a spectacle featuring dazzling costumes, choreography and colorful production that Perry is renowned for. If you go: 7 p.m. Sunday, July 13, Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave, Anaheim. Tickets are available at If you're a fan of electronic and hip-hop music, you'll love the HARD Summer music festival being held Aug. 2-3 at Hollywood Park. The 2025 lineup features headliners Dom Dolla, Gesaffelstein and Kaytranada. Sean Paul, Juvenile, Four Tet, Floating Points and more are also on the lineup. HARD Summer has become a renowned Southern California festival for its eclectic lineups, and the immersive visuals and themed areas at the festivals. If you go: Saturday Aug. 2 to Sunday, Aug. 3, Hollywood Park, 1011 Stadium Drive, Inglewood. Festival passes are available for purchase at with GA passes starting at $199 and VIP at $395, single-day GA passes at $139 and VIP at $239. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel is wrapping up his tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic before he departs to become the music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026. After Dudamel and the orchestra performed at Coachella in April, the season at the Hollywood Bowl began. On Aug. 5, Dudamel will conduct a performance of music at the Hollywood Bowl by French composer and pianist Maurice Ravel and jazz great Duke Ellington based on Ravel's 1928 visit to Harlem and jazz clubs in upper Manhattan and Ellington's jazz symphony "Black, Brown and Beige." If you go: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, Hollywood Bowl, 2301 Highland Ave., Los Angeles. Tickets are available at and cost between $13 and $151. Australian psychedelic-rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has a reputation for performing highly energetic sets that electrify late-night crowds at music festivals, but on Aug. 10, the band will perform a unique set with the Hollywood Bowl orchestra and conductor Sarah Hicks at the Hollywood Bowl. Expect to hear cuts from the new album "Phantom Island" and other songs from the extensive discography of progressive rock, folk, thrash metal and more. If you go: 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, Hollywood Bowl, 2301 Highland Ave., Los Angeles. Tickets are available at and cost between $24 and $184. After the death of Linkin Park's frontman, Chester Bennington, in 2017, the band returned last year with a new female vocalist, Emily Armstrong — much to the delight of many fans. Linkin Park will perform on Sept. 13 at the Intuit Dome as part of the From Zero World Tour. The show was originally going to be at Dodger Stadium but was switched to the Intuit Dome due to low ticket sales. But the tour features stunning visuals and Armstrong's debut during the band's 2024 performance at the KIA Forum in Los Angeles was well-received. If you go: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, Intuit Dome, 3930 W. Century Blvd., are available at A music festival founded by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder set against the serene backdrop of Doheny State Beach in Dana Point? Yes, please! Ohana Festival returns Sept. 26-28 featuring headliners Vedder, Kings of Leon, Hozier, Leon Bridges, Green Day and Cage the Elephant. Other notable performers include The Chats, Margo Price, Garbage and more. If you go: Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 27, Doheny State Beach, 25-300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. Tickets are available at and GA festival passes are $530, VIP $1,589 to $10,255. Single day GA is $198 and VIP is $624. Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Hollywood Bowl concerts and more: 10 SoCal concerts to see this summer
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Friend of Mine' Co-Producer Jon Bellion: Rihanna's New Single Resulted From ‘A Bunch of People Having a Blast'
At first blush, Rihanna's 'Friend of Mine' does not sound like a single from a kids movie. Unlike the superstar's previous soundtrack work for films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Home, which tended to veer toward sweeping pop balladry, 'Friend of Mine' is a thumping club track, with Rihanna's voice positioned as an elliptical refrain over a house beat. Jon Bellion, who co-wrote and co-produced the track last year, was initially surprised to hear that the song would be featured in the upcoming Smurfs film, in which Rihanna is voicing Smurfette. Then he considered the sonic profile of 'Friend of Mine,' and understood its mass appeal. 'From a product standpoint, I don't think you get such major chords and such a positive [message] over a dance record that doesn't sound like a kids movie too often,' he tells Billboard. 'So when do you nail the feel-good, family-friendly, high-taste, deep '90s nostalgia, that can also be played into the kids movie? Shoot it out into the world!' More from Billboard Nessa Barrett Announces 2025 Australian Arena Tour Sombr Announces 2025 Australia and New Zealand Headline Tour Eddie Vedder Covers Springsteen's 'My City of Ruins' After Trump Clash That's exactly what Rihanna did on Friday (May 16) with 'Friend of Mine,' which precedes the Smurfs soundtrack (out June 13 through Roc Nation Distribution) and her star turn in the Smurfs film (in theaters July 18). Three years after her last music release, Rihanna has offered 'Friend of Mine' as a long-awaited check-in with fans, and an unexpected song of the summer bid. The song came together during one of Bellion's writing camps at his vacation home in the Hamptons last summer, with the studio veteran producing the song with Pete Nappi and Fallen, and all three receiving co-writing credits along with Elijah Noll, Elkan, Tenroc and Rihanna. That group of writers and producers are part of Beautiful Mind Projects, Bellion's management, publishing and label company, and Bellion — who's helped artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Maroon 5 score pivotal hits in recent years — says that the energy heard on 'Friend of Mine' is a reflection of his collective's collaborative spirit. 'It was a bunch of people having a blast, doing a music camp together, jamming on some DJ s–t and playing chords and just having fun,' he says. 'And I think that that's probably why it ended up sounding so new. It just felt like a natural thing, with a bunch of guys who like being around each other and want to make great s–t.' 'Working with [Jon] is always exciting because you know you're going to walk away with a real song,' the producer Fallen, who's also worked with artists like Doja Cat and Summer Walker, tells Billboard in a statement. 'He sees things through. He's the kind of person who will spend an entire week on a single track if that's what it takes. We spent about three days on 'Friend of Mine,' just refining and dialing it in. Coming from the hip-hop world, I'm used to making five songs in a single session, so this level of detail was new for me. But it's been the most valuable lesson I've learned working with him.' One of Bellion's earliest hits as a co-writer was 'The Monster,' the 2013 smash from Eminem and Rihanna that topped the Hot 100 chart for four weeks. In the decade-plus since that breakthrough, he's stayed in touch with Rihanna's team, and says that he's contributed 'a couple songs' to her camp over the years that have yet to be released. Considering that Rihanna's output has been scant since her 2016 album ANTI, Bellion was uncertain that 'Friend of Mine' would see the light of day, but the spontaneity of the track's creation stood out in his mind when it came together last year. 'The song is raw — like, she didn't really mix it further than the two track that we sent out,' he says. 'We [sent] it out, and I had it on my phone for a few days, and I just remember, every morning I'd wake up listening to it. I'd listen to it in the shower, like, 'This is kind of jamming!'' Bellion couldn't recall another Rihanna single that sounded quite like 'Friend of Mine' — and he says that, at some point after the song was finished, the realization hit him that unexplored territory was exactly what she had been searching for. 'She's not looking for 'We Found Love 2.0,' or 'Work 2.0,'' he says. 'The arrangement and the feel feels all very new — very cutting-edge, in front of what the next wave will be, because she usually tries to do that every time she puts something out.' 'Friend of Mine' arrives shortly before Bellion's third studio album, Father Figure, is released on June 6; the project marks his first solo full-length in seven years, and features guest turns from Luke Combs, Pharrell Williams and Jon Batiste. While Father Figure includes deeply personal reflections on fatherhood and its challenges, Bellion is glad that 'Friend of Mine' has arrived a few weeks beforehand, to give him a chance to pull off something he has yet to accomplish professionally. 'My whole career, I've wanted [a song] that plays at all the events — all the baby showers and sweet sixteens and wedding and Bar Mitzvahs,' Bellion says with a laugh. 'I don't think I've ever really had one of those, so it feels great, and hopefully it does well.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
