Charli XCX‘s cinephilia has been effectively documented lately, from her viral Letterboxd critiques to her Coachella set that handed the “Brat Summer season” baton to a few of her favourite indie administrators releasing movies in 2025. And whereas she has made a number of appearances this 12 months in movies like “100 Nights of Hero,” “Sacrifice,” and “Erupcja,” 2026 is shaping as much as be the 12 months that sees her movie profession ascend into the stratosphere. Along with composing songs and releasing a companion album for Emerald Fennel’s “Wuthering Heights,” the pop star is ready to star in “The Second,” a brand new A24 music business satire based mostly on her personal authentic thought.
“The Second” marks the characteristic directorial debut of Aidan Zamiri, a veteran music video and industrial director behind Charli XCX’s “360” video and Billie Eilish’s video for “Birds of a Feather.” He additionally directed Timothée Chalamet in a latest industrial for CashApp. Zamiri co-wrote the script with Bertie Brandes, and the solid consists of Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Alexander Skarsgård, and Rachel Sennott.
An official synopsis for “The Second” reads: “A rising pop star navigates the complexities of fame and business stress whereas making ready for her area tour debut.”
Whereas the movie will not be explicitly autobiographical, Charli XCX has hinted that its music business satire displays her personal experiences. “It’s fiction, but it surely’s the realest depiction of the music business that I’ve ever seen,” she stated in an October interview with Self-importance Truthful.
Music for the movie will come from British producer A. G. Prepare dinner, who labored on a number of of the most well-liked tracks on “Brat” together with “Apple,” “Spring Breakers,” and “Von Dutch.” Prepare dinner is not any stranger to the movie world both, having contributed music to the Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri-led comedy “Bottoms.”
Different upcoming initiatives on Charli XCX’s movie docket embrace Gregg Araki’s “I Need Your Intercourse,” which additionally stars Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, and Chase Sui Wonders; and an untitled collaboration with “Audition” director Takashi Miike.
An A24 launch, “The Second” opens in theaters in every single place on Friday, January 30. Watch the teaser beneath.
