Trey Shults & A24 Have A Secret New Film Project Lined Up

Last month, director Trey Shults confirmed that he and Abel Tesfaye (aka music superstar The Weeknd) would co-write a new film featuring Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan. An intriguing list of artists there, to be sure. But now IndieWire reports that’s not the only project Shults has lined. The “Waves” and “It Comes At Night” directors will team up with A24 again for an upcoming secret film. Cast, title, and plot details all remain unknown at this time.

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It’s no surprise Shults reteams with A24 for the secret movie, as they’ve collaborated on all three of the director’s feature films, including his 2015 feature debut, “Krisha.” And Shults’ project with Tesfaye, Ortega, and Keoghan has a tangential relationship with A24, too. Reza Fahim, who co-writes that film with Shults and Tesfaye, collaborates with Tesfaye on HBO‘s upcoming series “The Idol,” which A24 also produces. Sam Levinson, another A24 artist thanks to “Euphoria,” also works on “The Idol,” but he’s not involved in either of Shults’ upcoming films.

It’s safe to assume that Shults’ film with Tesfaye, Ortega, and Keoghan will end up an A24 release, given the director’s history with the banner. And on top of acting and co-writing the script, Tesfaye will also pen that film’s score with Daniel Lopatin, otherwise known as OPN. Lopatin’s other film score work includes two Safdie Brothers films for A24: “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” Tesfaye and Fahim co-produce that film with Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss, while Shluts and Ortega co-executive produce.

Shults’ last feature, “Waves,” debuted at Telluride in 2019 before hitting theaters that November. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic into account, that feels like ages ago, so good news that Shults now has two upcoming projects in the pipeline. “Waves” received generally positive praise from critics but made substantially less than “It Comes At Night” at the box office. Still, Shults is one of A24’s darlings, and given the studio’s big night at the Oscars last weekend, be sure they’ll push for many new projects with their favorite collaborators in the coming months.