It’s a busy month for Abel Tesfaye. Last week, the artist better known as The Weeknd kicked off the latest iteration of his sold-out “After Hours Til Dawn” Tour in Glendale, Ariz., while this Friday, his first feature film “Hurry Up Tomorrow” will be released worldwide by Lionsgate.
“It’s truly the most massive week of any artist,” says CAA’s co-head of global touring Darryl Eaton, adding that the tour is on track to become the highest-grossing North American tour of the year, on pace to gross over $400 million.
Meanwhile, the film, a companion piece to the artist’s January album of the same name, sees The Weeknd embark on a moody psychological odyssey, portraying a fictionalized version of himself inspired by his own darkest moments.
But don’t call it a “tie-in film.” “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” directed by Trey Edward Shults and co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, was created before the album was finished, and serves as just one piece of the new multi-platform experience reaching across music, theatrical and touring.
Crafting the ambitious package required collaboration among Lionsgate, Republic Records, The Weeknd’s XO label, Manic Phase Productions, Live Nation and CAA, just to name a few key players. WME led both packing and selling the film and now represents Tesfaye in all areas, including touring.
Putting that many cooks in one kitchen may sound like a logistical nightmare, but Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate’s motion picture group, tells Variety the collaboration was smoother than expected, despite Zoom calls packed with dozens of voices across disciplines. “We spent the beginning of this relationship with everybody making sure they understood what their role in this orchestra was going to be, how everyone could provide maximum value without stepping on anyone’s toes. And so the first stage of that was for everyone to lay out what their roles and responsibilities were going to be, and then it was just about everyone being sure that we were over-communicative and that everyone was amplifying everyone else’s work,” he says.
The studio already boasts first-look deals with filmmakers Chad Stahelski, Francis Lawrence and Paul Feig, but partnering with The Weeknd opened the door to uncharted territory by supporting successful artists as they find a new way to connect with their fans.
The trippy experimental thriller, set against the backdrop of The Weeknd’s music as it explores the psychoanalysis of one’s personality through Jungian ideology, won’t be pulling in Marvel-like numbers when it hits theaters on Firday against the likes of “Final Destination: Bloodlines.” But that was never the goal.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” came in at just $15 million, making the project attractive for Lionsgate, which boarded as distributor in November 2024: profitability against the small cost is all but guaranteed, and the studio has now forged a relationship with one of the world’s most influential and creative voices.
“I think what it represents is that Lionsgate is a home that can flexibly work with people that we think are undeniably extraordinary in their talent, and whether it is pursuing a traditional path or crafting entirely new one, we are here to partner with the greatest artists in the world,” Fogelson says.
Live Nation’s Omar Al-Joulani says The Weeknd’s commitment to this unconventional rollout is “a testament to his clear vision of the creative journey that he is on,” adding that it takes a special set of skills to assemble so many creatives across disciplines for a singular framework.
With the tour underway and the album already breaking records as the biggest debut of 2025 in the U.S., the runway is clear for “Hurry Up Tomorrow” film to stick the landing – not necessarily as a box office juggernaut, but as an innovative extension of an artist’s creative vision in the vein of Prince’s “Purple Rain” in 1984.
“Our man always dares to be different and is fearless by never following traditional strategies or campaigns,” Monte Lipman, founder, chairman and CEO of Republic Collective tells Variety. “This is clearly one of his most ambitious and immersive projects to date, but he never ceases to amaze as he continues to push into uncharted territories.”
