The Weekend shakes off savage criticism of 'nonexistent' acting skills for film debut in Hurry Up Tomorrow

After his previous TV series was critically panned, The Weeknd is giving acting another shot, and has shared the first images from his upcoming film debut, Hurry Up Tomorrow, starring Barry Keoghan and Jenna Ortega. 

The singer, 34 — who returned to the Grammys on Sunday, following his previous boycott — just released his new sixth studio album of the same name, with the music serving as inspiration for the upcoming thriller.

In the film he plays a 'musician plagued by insomnia.' He gets 'pulled into an odyssey with a stranger (Ortega) who begins to unravel the very core of his existence,' as per the official synopsis.

One of the four newly released photos shows the multi-platinum artist — born Abel Tesfaye — screaming in agony as Jenna, 22, gently holds his face. 

Another shows him and Irish actor Barry, 32, facing a mirror. While The Weeknd's character looks at his reflection, Barry is turned towards him, with his forehead leaning into the singer's head.

The feature debut comes after he faced savage criticism for his 'nonexistent' acting skills in his 2023 HBO series The Idol, where he starred alongside Lily-Rose Depp.

Yet another of the new images shows Bella Hadid's ex-boyfriend wearing a white robe and slippers and sitting on the ground, with a digital piano on his lap. 

There's also an image of Ortega behind a rainy windshield. 

After the photos were released, a number of fans took online to express their skepticism.  

'how is the weeknd booking roles after his atrocious performance in the idol?' one asked.

'The Weeknd being back in acting again after the travesty that was The Idol is what some would say “a choice,"' someone else added.

'Maybe this was done after that and neither Jenna Ortega or Barry Keoghan had no idea in whatever the heck they signed up for.'

Another fan wrote: 'I’m a big fan of the weeknd but like his performance was TERRIBLE in The Idol lol so I’m not sure about this.' 

'Idk why The Weeknd keeps trying to make a career in acting Have yall not seen The Idol?'

'I'm a bit skeptical about the movie. The idol wasn't very great. Even cringe at times. Visuals look stunning on the three pictures though. Always supporting Abel on his passions. Happy we get to get a movie about The Weeknd. XO.'

'The Weeknd obviously has such a passion for film so I’m really hoping this goes over better than The Idol. He’s given us so much in terms of musical artistry and I’m ready to see what he has to contribute to film as well.'

However, others chose to reserve their judgment for when the film comes out. 

'i think we need to remember that the idol was co written by sam levinson, the same person who wrote euphoria. this film is a project by the weeknd (as far as i know) so lets not judge until we see a trailer.'

'You are going to be pleasantly surprised by this film if you give it a chance. The Weeknd’s acting wasn’t why the Idol was mediocre too, the guys a good actor.'

The psychological thriller, directed and co-written by Trey Edward Shults, is set to hit theaters on May 16.

A trailer for the film is expected to be released sometime this week.

'It's about an artist, you could say, on the verge of a mental breakdown,' Shults told Entertainment Weekly in a new interview.

'I honestly feel like I've never seen a movie quite like it,' he added.

'This experience was really introspective and cathartic for me,' The Weeknd told the publication.

'From writing to production and through post — I realized just how much of a catalyst this art form can be for conversations about our emotions, mental health, and vulnerabilities.' 

Shults also explained the process for creating the character, sharing that he got to know the Canadian crooner via 'little therapy sessions' over the phone.

'We did these little therapy sessions where we'd do long phone calls and talk about his past and his life so I could learn where his headspace was at different times,' he explained.

'I feel like we created a character that isn't exactly him, but it's honest to his soul and what he could have been if things went differently in life. I think his character is in need of self-reflection. He's kind of at a crossroads in his life.'

Shults met the Starboy hitmaker after he temporarily lost his voice during a performance in 2022.

Doctors could find nothing physically wrong, leading the singer to understand the issue was mental. His voice eventually returned, but the trauma was long-lasting.

'I knew that I really needed to sit the f**k down and figure out my life,' he told Variety. 'I'd had a kind of a mental breakdown, which is pretty much what this new album's about.'

Meanwhile Ortega said of her role, 'It was my understanding while shooting that my character, Anima, is a version of Abel. A side of him that the persona the Weeknd doesn’t show as much.' 

Keoghan, who plays the Weeknd's manager, Lee, said of working with the star: 'He’s always been an artist who pours so much of himself into his work, and seeing him bring that same passion and vision to filmmaking was inspiring.'

Hurry Up Tomorrow is produced by the Weeknd and his Manic Phase company, along with Fahim, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss.

Last year he spoke about the criticism his show The Idol garnered, telling Variety it was 'very much expected.'

The series currently holds a shocking 19 percent rotten rating from the most prestigious critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes, and viewers have also lambasted it on social media.

Much of the criticism has been for The Weeknd's acting chops, which one critic for Variety called 'nonexistent' in a particularly buzzy headline, while other critics and viewers have complained that she show is 'misogynistic' and equivalent to 'torture porn' due to its graphic nudity and sex scenes, many of which feature Weeknd's costar Lily-Rose.

Depp played pop star Jocelyn, while The Weeknd played the Svengali-like nightclub owner Tedros who takes control of her career. 

The show was canceled in August 2023 after only one season.