After patenting Brat Summer and touring as a ‘3-6-5 party girl’, Charli XCX is testing new waters, this time as an actress. And she is busier than expected, with eight confirmed projects, two of which she’s also producing.
For followers of her hyperpop auto-tune gospel, the Grammy winner’s cinematic side might not come as a surprise. Even Letterboxd-addicted cinephiles worship her on-brand, cheeky one-line reviews (her username is @itscharlibb in case you were wondering).
Also contributing to film soundtracks like The Fault in Our Stars, Barbie, and Bottoms, the London raver even bid adieu to Brat Summer at this year's Coachella by giving shoutouts to some top-tier filmmakers, declaring this year the summer of Darren Aronofsky, David Cronenberg, Celine Song, Paul Thomas Anderson, and many others.
Then there was the time when even The Great Gatsby’s Baz Luhrmann referenced ‘party4u’ to evoke Gatsby’s longing for his beloved Daisy. “Gatsby, he only threw these parties for you,” the ever-flashy Australian director captioned a throwback Instagram post with Charli approving, “That’s right!”
So, it only made sense for the 32-year-old to turn to acting. With a title at this year’s Venice Film Festival, and projects with the who’s who of Hollywood, Charli’s all set to turn heads and raise eyebrows yet again.
Here’s your guide to every upcoming Charli XCX film. Get your Letterboxd watchlists ready.
100 Nights of Hero
Premiering on closing night at Venice this year, this historical fantasy boasts an ensemble cast with Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe, Felicity Jones, and Charli XCX as Rosa. Her character details remain under the radar; a behind-the-scenes image revealed her to drape a majestic green cowl with a golden necklace. Another still features her in a blue velvety dress.
100 Nights of Hero is written and directed by Julia Jackman and is based on the graphic novel of the same name, which in itself is a queer-coded spin of One Thousand and One Nights (aka The Arabian Nights). The folklore elements, mediaeval costumes, and the talented cast mean that Charli, the movie star, is in great company.
Sacrifice
Next on her radar is Sacrifice, an upcoming satirical action thriller by Romain Gavras, who previously directed the Netflix political thriller Athena. Gavras is shifting from his native French to English with a cast fronted by Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Evans, Salma Hayek, Ambika Mod, and many more. Sacrifice follows a chaotic celeb charity event that is interrupted by a radical activist group.
Charli joins the project in an undisclosed role, but the zany premise is worthy enough of drawing the ‘Von Dutch’ hitmaker. Sacrifice will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.
Eruptcja
The Toronto International Film Festival is a good launchpad for Charli’s film career as much like Sacrifice, Eruptcja will also premiere here. This one’s a more solemn effort with a wholesome romance and mellowed-down colours. Charli stars in this lesbian romance as a British tourist who falls for a Polish florist (Lena Góra).
What makes Eruptcja all the more exciting is that it also has Charli sharing screenwriting duties with director Pete Ohs and co-star Jeremy O. Harris.
Faces of Death
Euphoria alumna Barbie Ferreira and Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery star in Faces of Death, a remake of the 1978 pseudo-documentary that aims to recreate the gnarly murders and rituals of the original. Sounds campy enough for Charli, who has a supporting bit in this. And with the premise also taking on online misinformation and grainy found footage, Faces of Death is again fitting for the popstar’s Y2K aesthetics.
I Want Your Sex
Greg Arraki, the trailblazing ‘90s filmmaker behind gritty, sex-fuelled teen dramas like Mysterious Skin and Totally F***ed Up, is a perfect match for Charli XCX’s bratty persona. This time around, Arraki directs an erotic thriller with Olivia Wilde as a provocative artist and Licorice Pizza breakout Cooper Hoffman as her sexual muse. Charli joins the supporting cast with Daveed Diggs, Johnny Knoxville, and even veteran stand-up comic Margaret Cho.
The Gallerist
Another art thriller in Charli XCX’s emerging filmography, Cathy Yan’s The Gallerist has Natalie Portman playing the titular gallerist who plots to sell a corpse at a Miami Art Fair. The Gallerist is bound to ruffle some Gen-Z feathers as this twisted thriller pairs Charli alongside Wednesday star Jenna Ortega. No dearth of acting talent here, with This is Us’s Sterling K Brown, Oscar-winner Da’vine Joy Randolph, and Ortega’s Wednesday co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones joining in.
The Moment
Out of all of Charli XCX’s upcoming films, this A24 mockumentary seems to be the most meta and hype-worthy. Firstly, Charli gets top billing and is no longer relegated to supporting parts here. And then, she gets to play a pop star gearing up for her first headlining tour. Expect behind-the-scenes shenanigans à la Spinal Tap and social commentary that can blur the lines between Charli’s larger-than-life persona and her true self. Produced by Charli’s Studio’s 365 banner, The Moment also stars Alexander Skarsgård, Rosanna Arquette, and Jamie Demetriou.
Untitled Takashi Miike project
Charli’s second credit as a producer is Japanese auteur Takashi Miike’s next project. The prolific director is mostly known in the west for his twisted 1999 thriller Audition and blood-soaked cult hits like Ichi the Killer and Thirteen Assassins. Plot details are under wraps, but Charli is expected to have a crucial role. A collaboration between Charli and Miike might seem unexpected at first, but it makes perfect sense given both artists’ flair for stylish multi-genre projects.
So…when are all the Charli XCX films releasing?
Only three of the films have been completed yet, with 100 Nights of Hero closing Venice and Sacrifice and Eruptcja premiering at TIFF. As is the case with most festival titles, these films are likely to open in cinemas later this year or next. The others are still in production and will most likely eye a 2026 or 2027 release.