Is the Weeknd dead? Breaking down the fiery ending of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

This article contains spoilers for Hurry Up Tomorrow.

Abel Tesfaye, the singer-songwriter otherwise known as the Weeknd, literally and figuratively sets his old persona on fire in Hurry Up Tomorrow, the companion film to his somber and operatic sixth studio album of the same name.

From director Trey Edward Shults, the psychological thriller (in theaters now) stars Tesfaye as a fictionalized version of himself, but mines from the real experience of losing his voice mid-concert during a 2022 tour stop in Los Angeles. The Grammy winner plays Abel, an insomnia-plagued music superstar contending with recent heartbreak and the isolation that comes with fame. At a show where he flees the stage after losing his voice, Abel meets the mysterious and troubled Amina, or “Ani” (Jenna Ortega).

What begins as a healing alliance soon turns into a mind-bending odyssey that unravels Tesfaye’s core. When Abel prepares to return to his regular life after their night together, Ani decides to hold him captive, forcing him to confront his self-destructive nature. The film, set to Weeknd hits like “Blinding Lights” and newer offerings like the film’s namesake “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” ends with Ani pouring gasoline on Abel and lighting him on fire.

Before the credits roll, however, he emerges from the room unscathed and backstage at a dressing room before a big show. The ending could be seen as Abel killing off a past self that was destructive and harmful. It also hints that Ortega’s character is, in fact, a version of Abel, which the Wednesday star previously teased before the film’s release.

“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,” Ortega previously told Entertainment Weekly in a first look. “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.”

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Tesfaye called making the film an “introspective and cathartic” experience in the same interview. “From writing to production and through post, I realized just how much of a catalyst this art form can be for conversations about our emotions, mental health, and vulnerabilities.” 

The singer-songwriter has spoken about retiring his stage persona (just the persona, not music as a whole) following the release of the album and companion film. But he recently suggested that this might not be the death of the Weeknd after all, but rather a resurrection of sorts. “I’ve kind of toyed with the idea in the past with albums,” he told EW of retiring the moniker at this year’s CinemaCon. “But it could also just be a rebirth. Who knows?”

Hurry Up Tomorrow is in theaters now.