Mark your calendars: Hurry Up Tomorrow, the highly anticipated suspense thriller starring The Weeknd in his cinematic debut, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan, hits theaters on May 16, 2025. Directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes at Night), this Lionsgate release is strategically timed to coincide with The Weeknd’s new album and upcoming tour, creating a synergistic launch designed to dominate multiple entertainment platforms.
A Unique Selling Proposition: The Weeknd’s Artistic Trilogy
The film isn’t just another Hollywood release; it’s the final chapter of The Weeknd’s artistic trilogy, following his hit albums After Hours and Dawn FM. Hurry Up Tomorrow will feature new music from the Grammy-winning artist, making it part psychological thriller, part musical event. This unique cross-medium storytelling has the potential to attract not just cinephiles but also The Weeknd’s massive fanbase, which spans over 117 million monthly listeners on Spotify—a figure that could translate into significant ticket sales.
The Box Office Landscape: May 2025 Competition
May is prime real estate for summer blockbusters, and Hurry Up Tomorrow will face stiff competition. The film opens the same day as Final Destination: Bloodlines (New Line Cinema), a franchise with a dedicated horror fanbase. Additionally, it will follow major releases like Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts (May 2), Universal’s comedy Golden (May 9), and Sony’s star-studded A Big Bold Beautiful Journey starring Margot Robbie, Lily Rabe, and Colin Farrell (also May 9).
The May 16 weekend will test whether The Weeknd’s global popularity can hold its own against established franchises and big-name competitors. Lionsgate is banking on his cultural cachet and Jenna Ortega’s Gen Z appeal (coming off her smash Netflix series Wednesday) to carve out a niche audience.
Track Record: Lionsgate, Shults, and Star Power
Lionsgate has seen success with smaller-scale but highly effective thrillers, such as Knives Out ($312 million globally) and John Wick: Chapter 4 ($432 million globally). Meanwhile, Trey Edward Shults has built a reputation for crafting emotionally intense films, with Waves earning critical acclaim and It Comes at Night grossing $19.7 million on a modest $5 million budget.
The Weeknd, on the other hand, is no stranger to global dominance. His 2023 After Hours til Dawn Tour became one of the highest-grossing tours of all time, pulling in over $350 million worldwide. If even a fraction of his fanbase shows up to theaters, Hurry Up Tomorrow could become a sleeper hit.
The Synergy Factor: Music Meets Cinema
Hurry Up Tomorrow isn’t just a movie—it’s an event. The release coincides with The Weeknd’s album drop and tour, creating a multi-platform experience that could amplify its reach. Recent examples like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour ($123 million domestic opening weekend) and BTS: Yet to Come show that leveraging music fandom in theaters can pay off big time.
Production and Creative Team
Behind the scenes, the film boasts an impressive lineup:
- Director: Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes at Night)
- Cinematography: Chayse Irvin (Blonde, Black Panther)
- Music: The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin (Uncut Gems)
- Producers: The Weeknd’s Manic Phase, Reza Fahim, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss
With a creative team that blends indie prestige and blockbuster ambitions, Hurry Up Tomorrow is primed to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Market Potential: The Weeknd’s Audience
The Weeknd’s fans skew younger, aligning perfectly with the demographics most likely to attend theaters. His influence on platforms like Instagram (59 million followers) and TikTok (where his songs frequently go viral) offers free, organic marketing that most studios dream of. Lionsgate’s strategy appears to hinge on activating this fanbase, much like Universal did with Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.
Given its mid-May release, Hurry Up Tomorrow could open in the $20–30 million range domestically if it successfully taps into The Weeknd’s fanbase.
Projections
Given its mid-May release, Hurry Up Tomorrow could open in the $20–30 million range domestically if it successfully taps into The Weeknd’s fanbase. For comparison:
- A Star is Born opened to $42.9 million in 2018, driven by Lady Gaga’s music fans.
- Bohemian Rhapsody started at $51 million before grossing $910 million worldwide.
If Hurry Up Tomorrow leverages its cross-platform synergy, it could outperform its mid-budget peers and ride a strong multiplier through the summer.
Final Thoughts
Hurry Up Tomorrow is more than just a film; it’s a cultural moment in the making. With The Weeknd’s global appeal, Jenna Ortega’s rising stardom, and Trey Edward Shults’ directorial vision, the film has the potential to disrupt the traditional summer blockbuster season. Whether it can outpace its competition remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: May 16, 2025, just got a whole lot more interesting.
“Follow the money, follow the story.”
