Fans joke about The Weeknd’s acting in ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ featuring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan

The Weeknd is swapping stadium lighting for sleepless nights in Hurry Up Tomorrow, a psychological thriller he appears in alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the movie drops May 16, and a new look of The Weeknd from the movie is circulating on X, which has already spawned 38 theories, 12 memes, and at least one "Is that really him?" comment thread.

Empire magazine has just released the new look of The Weeknd in Hurry Up Tomorrow, and it's essentially him gazing at flames as flames gaze back at him. So, chill. The photo has flames illuminating his face as if he's reflecting on all the bad life decisions that got him here.

In the film, he is acting out a character named Abel Tesfaye, which happens to be his actual name. So, yes, he may very well be acting out himself, but with more sleep deprivation and more melodrama. As soon as the picture went out, someone commented on X:

"Weeknd on his acting arc?"

X people have already tallied what's happening, with the note that The Weeknd appears to be embarking on his all-out acting career. He first gave us break-up ballads, then offbeat prosthetics, and now he's got a film where he's gazing into flames like he just looked at his Spotify Wrapped.

With Hurry Up Tomorrow looming, the fans are preparing for his next chapter, maybe sobbing in 4K as he gives monologues about insomnia. If so, it's off to a frantic, over-the-top, and highly explosive start.

The moment The Weeknd's brooding, fire-staring mug landed on the internet, his fans did what they do best: Opened X, lost all chill, and began typing like their lives were at stake. From bewildered enthusiasm to Oscar predictions typed out in ALL CAPS, the responses have been absolute internet gold.

When Abel Tesfaye unleashes a new look, the timeline is transformed into a group therapy session with memes.

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Netizens react to the new look of The Weeknd from Hurry Up Tomorrow

And then, of course, some people promptly went into joke mode, since nothing captures "cinematic moment" better than making it into a meme after five minutes. Whether impressed, bewildered, or just tuned in to be enjoying the meltdown, the comment section descended swiftly into an unrestrained stand-up routine:

"How much acting classes must one take for such a role?," user @William45589421 hilariously commented.

"He looks in lot of pain," another user, @foopser, hilariously commented.

"The opening day should be in a WEEKnd," netizen @AUasylum sarcastically expressed.

Others plainly came to comment for the comment's sake — no context, no filter, vibes and jokes. It's that type of energy where they don't care what is going on, just so long as they can joke about it:

"lol or maybe it’s more like music video," user @William45589421 commented.

"I love The Weeknd but whyyy does he always wear that tortured look? I have forgotten his smile," another user, @MsAnjaliB, hilariously commented.

"Haha can’t wait to see this," netizen @PauluzRFRM expressed.

And naturally, the peanut gallery rolled in punctually, carrying with them quipping, irony, and a deficit in context sensitivity. They weren’t present to critique the storyline; they came to ridicule, respond, and possibly contribute a meme for the sake of the culture:

"hurry up tomorrow? I'm still recovering from his Super Bowl performance," user @ZafdaOne said.

"Bro should stick to dropping albums instead of below average acting," another user, @RicRA1DER, wrote.

"when someone asks what's wrong and there's a 47-part answer," another netizen, @ZafdaOne, sarcastically commented.

"Hurry up tomorrow is better than yesterday," a netizen @Ajira_Betting joked.

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The plot and cast of Hurry Up Tomorrow

Directed by Trey Edward Shults and co-written by The Weeknd himself, the movie follows an insomnic musician who spirals into a verge of mental breakdown, thanks to an enigmatic stranger.

Accompanying The Weeknd on his cinematic sleep-deprived spiral are Jenna Ortega as Anima and Barry Keoghan as Lee. Jenna's character is likely the love interest or the emotional chaos coordinator, and Barry may be playing his friend, manager, or that one guy who continues to make everything worse but inexplicably stays.

Either way, though, they're both obviously here to bring tension, confusion, and vibes that yell, "therapy may be necessary after this." It's a musical, it's a thriller, and it's a meltdown to a soundtrack, coming soon to your group chat and neighborhood theater.

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Hurry Up Tommorow is inspired by a true event

The idea of Hurry Up Tomorrow was taken from The Weeknd's own real, vulnerable life. During his 2022 tour at Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, lost his voice during the performance and had to finish things up. It was certainly difficult, but the experience was an early inspiration for the film.

Shults said in an interview with Empire:

The film was inspired, in part, by an incident that Tesfaye experienced on stage at LA’s SoFi Stadium, at the end of his 2022 tour, when his voice completely gave out. Later, he learned that there was nothing physically wrong with his vocal cords – and what he experienced was psychological in nature."

The Weeknd said regarding this:

“I think it was a test. What happens if this thing that you’re relying on too much is taken away from you? It not only helped inspire Hurry Up Tomorrow, but marked a turning point in his entire conception of 'The Weeknd.' I think that I needed that experience, on the biggest stage of my career, because that way I couldn't ignore it."

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The connection between Hurry Up Tomorrow and The Weeknd's album of the same name

The Weeknd's new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, was released on January 31, 2025, and the film is a namesake of the album.

Hurry Up Tomorrow aims at being more than a film. It is pitched as Abel Tesfaye's quiet exit from his period as The Weeknd. Drawing on his latest album of the same title, the film is an angsty farewell note to the persona he spent years constructing.

With the film's lead character Abel suffering from insomnia and existential angst, it's obvious he's torn between losing the fame and holding on to it while questioning everything at 3 a.m.The soundtrack is not afraid, either.

The movie contains songs that swing between R&B, pop, and acoustic stripped bare because breakups of the heart need scope.

Songs like Big Sleep and Drive are not present solely for atmospheres. They have the sound of the audio equivalent of prowling your flat in a hoodie questioning whether it's all worthwhile. So yes, it's over-the-top, but in an understandable, analysing-your-life manner.

The songs in Hurry Up Tomorrow seem what it's like when Abel sat down, stared at a wall, questioned everything, then recorded. They're in line with the whole attitude of the film — walking away from fame, looking at death, and questioning how to stay iconic without having a breakdown.

So, reportedly, there's a connection between the two!

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So, after all the music, mystery, and indoor sunglasses, The Weeknd is officially adding 'actor'to his CV. Hurry Up Tomorrow may be a psychological thriller, but it's also a gentle transition into the realm of dramatic glances and awards season chatter.

With the insomnia plotline, the moody lighting, and Abel gradually separating from The Weeknd persona, it's safe to say he's going full method. Honestly, good for him.

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