Abel Tesfaye on finding himself again through 'Hurry Up Tomorrow'

Abel Tesfaye, globally known as The Weeknd, has made a bold pivot—returning to his original love for cinema. His latest creative offering, Hurry Up Tomorrow, an experimental musical film co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, marks a significant step in shedding the persona that made him a global music phenomenon.

After ‘The Idol,’ Abel Tesfaye has a new movie ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

Tesfaye never set out to be a pop star. “Cinema, for me, it’s always been my number one passion,” he reflects. “I happened to sing and make music, and it kind of felt like a little detour, a little cheat code to get into this.” While his music has always carried cinematic undercurrents—through storytelling, visual direction, and elaborate stagecraft—his intention has been, ultimately, to make films.

That long-held dream finds new life in Hurry Up Tomorrow, a Lionsgate production releasing in cinemas on 16 May. The film acts as a companion piece to the final album of the same name, which concludes his career-defining trilogy. Though the album had been in the works for a while, Tesfaye admits he hadn’t initially planned the narrative so consciously. “I knew I was making some sort of saga... I just didn’t know what I wanted to say at the time. Then something happened to me, and I focused 110% on this story.”

What happened, in part, was burnout. In 2022, during a tour performance, Tesfaye lost his voice on stage. “People save up for a year to come to these shows,” he says. “And when it got to a point where I couldn’t give them what they wanted, my voice was failing me—I knew I needed to figure out what was going on.” The realisation wasn’t about physical strain, but something deeper. “It wasn’t a physical injury. It was mental. Emotional. The lines were blurring.”

That crisis was a turning point—leading to what he now calls “retiring The Weeknd”. But he’s quick to clarify: “I’ve always been Abel. The Weeknd’s always been a performance. And it felt like I had nothing else to say as that person. Now it’s time to take the next step.”

Making Hurry Up Tomorrow alongside director Trey Edward Shults helped bring clarity. The two hit it off instantly, developing what Tesfaye describes as a familial bond. “We became really, really close. The trust just came naturally. No one else could tell this story but Trey.”

Shults, known for his intimate, emotionally raw storytelling, echoed the sentiment. “My first film was made with friends and family for $30,000. I told myself I’d only keep making movies if I felt that same magic—and I felt it with Abel.”

The collaboration not only grounded the film in authenticity but also helped restore Tesfaye’s creative joy, especially after the divisive reception of his HBO series The Idol, which he co-created and starred in. “That was our first go at anything like this. You learn. I’m still close with everyone from the set, but this film felt more personal. ‘Idol’ didn’t really feel like mine in the end.”

In contrast, working on Hurry Up Tomorrow—with Jenna Ortega bringing in what Tesfaye calls “real joy”—felt like a reaffirmation. “I do want to do this. This is great.”

Though he may have stepped away from the moniker that defined his music career, Abel Tesfaye isn’t disappearing—he’s simply turning the page. His story, as a filmmaker, is just beginning.