The Weeknd led the cast of The Idol and played himself in his dream spot on American Dad and the cast of Uncut Gems. However, in his upcoming feature film debut, Hurry Up Tomorrow, he'll play a role like no other as he dives into a psychological journey about a musician and a mysterious stranger. With the mysterious stranger played by Jenna Ortega, the actress teased what we can expect from her character in this seemingly mind-bending film, and her comments truly piqued my interest.
Based on the trailer for Hurry Up Tomorrow, Jenna Ortega’s performance raises a lot of questions. The preview shows us a scene where she apologizes to the fictionalized version of Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) for something she did. There's also another scene where she pours gasoline inside someone’s house before making a run for it. Who is she? Well, if you want some answers, the Wednesday star spoke to EW to give us a tease of her character, and her comments only make me more interested:
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. There were many iterations of Ani as the new script drafts came in, but I just loved that she consistently took no s--- and felt everything intensely.
Now, this makes me wonder if Anima is a real person or just a figment of Abel’s imagination. As this thriller is about the psychological journey of the main character, Anima could either be a real-life catalyst for Abel’s actions or merely symbolize his psyche, inner struggles, and desires in the form of a woman. Considering what a trip the trailer is, delving into the main character’s mental state could blur the lines between what’s real and what’s fiction.
Jenna Ortega’s starring roles in Wednesday and Scream may have shown she’s capable of molding into various characters. But, Hurry Up Tomorrow presents Gen Z’s scream queen with a different opportunity to play a challenging role and show off a broader emotional depth. To that point, the actress explained she didn't feel right for the part at first. However, after conversations with The Weekend and his team, she realized this was a film she wanted to be part of, explaining:
I actually didn’t think that I was right for it initially. But through conversation and built trust with Trey and Abel, it felt like a team and vision I wanted to work with.
Abel Tesfaye previously said he enjoyed working with Ortega on set, and he was impressed with her skill to bring a scene to life unrehearsed. He also told EW that he felt “incredibly lucky” to collaborate with her.
Director Trey Edward Shults had sweet things to say about Ortega too, explaining she is “one of the most talented people” and he couldn't wait for audiences to see her in a new light through his film. As the You actress has a knack for blowing away critics and audiences through each character she plays, I can’t imagine Hurry Up Tomorrow being any different.
Ever since Abel Tesfaye started releasing music on YouTube in 2009, he made a name for himself under his stage name, The Weeknd. The Canadian artist said his sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, will be the last album under his musical alter ego, and he'll go by Abel Tesfaye going forward. To that point, Ortega explained what it was like to be part of this transition and putting the musician's story to film:
[It’s an] experimental telling of what it means to be an artist who is changing, evolving, managing their past while trying not to fear the unknown. What a mental block can do to one’s sense of self.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is slated to premiere on the 2025 movie schedule on May 16th.
With the Hurry Up Tomorrow album exploring the transformative themes of redemption and rebirth, it’s no surprise the new psychological thriller explores these ideas. No longer credited as The Weeknd, the existential odyssey film says farewell to the persona that defined Abel Tesfaye’s career with a brave step into “the unknown.”
Jenna Ortega herself took a brave step too by playing a mysterious character with layers to explore that seemingly tie right back to the musician.
Based on what Jenna Ortega has said about her mystifying character, Anima, she brings out a side of Abel Tesfayehe that is kept hidden. And I can’t wait to see what else she’ll deliver in her psychologically-charged role.
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