Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is set to make his feature acting debut, teaming with Waves helmer Trey Edward Shults on an untitled film that also stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
Plot details are being kept under wraps with the pic currently in production. Shults will direct from a script he co-wrote with Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim. Tesfaye, Fahim, Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss are producing with Shultz and Ortega exec producing.
Tesfaye has been developing the project for some time and in recent months came to Shults about directing it. Once he was on board, the two along with Fahim began penning the script that they would ultimately get into the hands of Ortega and Keoghan. Even though both Ortega and Keoghan have been weighing several offers following their big years, both made it clear they wanted this as their next project and following their commitments, the film was a go.
Besides landing Ortega and Keoghan, Shults and Tesfaye also have assembled a below-the-line team that includes director of photography Chayse Irvin (Blonde). Composer and producer OPN, aka Daniel Lopatin (Good Time, Uncut Gems), is scoring the film alongside The Weeknd.
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