{"id":134887,"date":"2025-05-21T07:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T07:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-weeknds-hurry-up-tomorrow-fails-to-impress-in-theaters\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T07:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T07:12:50","slug":"the-weeknds-hurry-up-tomorrow-fails-to-impress-in-theaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-weeknds-hurry-up-tomorrow-fails-to-impress-in-theaters\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Fails to Impress in Theaters"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Weeknd’s Foray into Film: A Disappointing Debut<\/h2>\n

To say that **Abel Tesfaye** \u2014 better known as **The Weeknd** \u2014 struggled to find his footing in his latest acting venture would be an understatement. His film **Hurry Up Tomorrow** has been met with significant criticism and indifferent box office results, marking a challenging start for the acclaimed musician in the world of cinema.<\/p>\n

A Difficult Premiere<\/h2>\n

Debuting in theaters from **May 16-18**, 2025, **Hurry Up Tomorrow** attempts to weave a complex **psychological thriller** narrative centered around a troubled pop star portrayed by Tesfaye himself. However, despite his status as one of the most successful **music superstars** today, the film grossed a mere **$3.3 million** domestically across **2,020 theaters**, finishing in a lackluster sixth place. Internationally, the film didn\u2019t fare much better, earning about **$3 million**.<\/p>\n

Box Office Challenges<\/h2>\n

Heading into the weekend, projections estimated the $15 million film was set to gross between **$5 million** to **$9 million** in North America. Unfortunately, a combination of strikingly poor reviews \u2014 with a dismal score of **14 percent** on **Rotten Tomatoes** \u2014 and negative word-of-mouth doomed its potential. **Live Nation** financed the film, distributing it through **Lionsgate** as a companion piece to The Weeknd\u2019s **studio album** released around the same time.<\/p>\n

The Audience Reaction<\/h2>\n

Critics and audiences alike have largely dismissed the film. While many films that receive negative reviews may find a following among general audiences, **Hurry Up Tomorrow** has not benefited from such allowances. **Exit scores** reflected disappointment as well, registering just **one-and-a-half stars** out of **five** on the exit polling service **Comscore PostTrak**, with a concerning “C-” rating on **CinemaScore**. Even the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes \u2014 known as the **popcorn meter** \u2014 languished at **68 percent**, notably lower than what one might expect given The Weeknd\u2019s vast fanbase.<\/p>\n

The Disconnect Between Music and Film<\/h2>\n

Despite millions of loyal fans, there seems to be a profound disconnect between them and the film. This lack of connection mirrors the reaction to showrunner **Sam Levinson’s** controversial series **The Idol**, which HBO canceled after one season. Tesfaye co-developed that project and also played a musician, but it too failed to resonate with viewers.<\/p>\n

What’s Affecting Original Films?<\/h2>\n

Industry experts like **Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian** attribute these struggles to a broader trend affecting **original films**. Many releases in 2025, including titles like **Mickey 17**, **Last Breath**, **Novocaine**, and **Black Bag**, have encountered similar difficulties. Dergarabedian noted that if a film’s concept or marketing doesn’t effectively engage potential viewers, it becomes increasingly challenging for it to perform at the box office. While one notable exception was **Sinners**, its success can be attributed to the significant star power of **Michael B. Jordan** and **Ryan Coogler**, along with overwhelmingly positive reviews.<\/p>\n

Creative or Commercial?<\/h2>\n

Many viewers have criticized **Hurry Up Tomorrow** for feeling more like a promotional film for The Weeknd’s studio album bearing the same name, which launched amid the devastating **L.A. fires**. The album is also framed as a farewell to his stage persona, **The Weeknd**. In his review, **Frank Scheck** of **THR** remarked on the film\u2019s \u201camorphous narrative\u201d with frequent forays into **surrealism**, critiquing its heavy reliance on symbolism and introspective storytelling.<\/p>\n

Diverse Audience Demographics<\/h2>\n

In examining audience demographics, **Caucasians** represented **39 percent**, followed closely by **Latinos** at **38 percent**, with **Black** moviegoers at **12 percent**, **Asians** at **8 percent**, and **Native American\/Other** at **5 percent**. The diverse audience showcases the reach of The Weeknd’s appeal, yet it still failed to translate into ticket sales.<\/p>\n

Collaborators Behind the Project<\/h2>\n

The film features notable actors like **Jenna Ortega** and **Barry Keoghan**, directed by **Trey Edward Shults**, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tesfaye and **Reza Fayhim**. The storyline sees Tesfaye portray a fictionalized version of himself, dealing with personal demons, a breakup, and even the threat of losing his voice \u2014 a narrative choice inspired by events in his real life.<\/p>\n

The Merger of Film and Music Worlds<\/h2>\n

Brought to life through the collaborative efforts of Lionsgate and The Weeknd\u2019s team, the film was envisioned as a hybrid to bridge the worlds of music and cinema. Close partnerships with **Republic Records**, **XO label**, **Manic Phase Productions**, and **Live Nation** aimed to connect the film with fans from his **After Hours Til Dawn** tour.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n

As noted by critics, the dismal reception of **Hurry Up Tomorrow**, along with the mixed success of **The Idol**, may warrant some **career counseling** for Tesfaye as he navigates his journey beyond music.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Magazine-6<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Weeknd’s Foray into Film: A Disappointing Debut To say that **Abel Tesfaye** \u2014 better known as **The Weeknd** \u2014 struggled to find his footing in his latest acting venture would be an understatement. His film **Hurry Up Tomorrow** has been met with significant criticism and indifferent box office results, marking a challenging start for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":110274,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3338,18602,27197,27079,3041,35249],"class_list":["post-134887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mazagine","tag-fails","tag-hurry","tag-impress","tag-theaters","tag-tomorrow","tag-weeknds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}