Charli XCX: From Hyperpop Queen to Cinematic Chameleon
Charli XCX, a true multi-hyphenate known for her prowess in singing, songwriting, and producing, is now setting her sights on the silver screen. This year marks a significant pivot in her career as she embarks on an ambitious acting journey, with a staggering ten projects slated for release between 2026 and 2027. These ventures span a diverse range of genres, from biting art-world satires and chilling Japanese slasher flicks to faux documentaries exploring the price of fame. This prolific output, with nine acting roles and one composing credit, suggests a work ethic that mirrors her hit song “365.” Following her work on the Wuthering Heights soundtrack, Charli is crafting original scores for the popstar drama Mother Mary, showcasing both her musical taste and her expanding artistic range.
Here’s a comprehensive look at Charli XCX’s upcoming cinematic slate:
The Moment
- Director: Aidan Zamiri
- Release Date: March 5, 2026
Mockumentaries are currently enjoying a resurgence, with titles like St Denis Medical, The Paper, and Spinal Tap II proving their enduring appeal. Charli XCX’s own “Brat Summer” phenomenon in June 2024, and this fictionalised documentary by Aidan Zamiri, appears to explore the relentless drive of management to extend an album cycle indefinitely. The film aims to capture the zeitgeist, even if it skirts the “cringe” territory that stands in stark contrast to Brat‘s signature effortless cool. A24 has slated The Moment for a March release, making it one of the two films on this list with a confirmed Australian release date.
Mother Mary
- Director: David Lowery
- Release Date: April 16, 2026
Charli XCX will be lending her musical talents to Mother Mary, contributing several original songs to the soundtrack, much like she did for Emerald Fennell’s spirited adaptation of Wuthering Heights earlier this year. Debuting in April, this A24 production delves into the complexities of pop stardom. Director David Lowery crafts a intricate narrative centred on the feud between a fashion designer, played by Michaela Coel, and Anne Hathaway’s character, a self-proclaimed “Gaga-Taylor Swift hybrid,” over the creation of a pivotal dress.
100 Nights of Hero
- Director: Julia Jackman
- Release Date: TBC
This queer romantasy promises a multitude of twists and turns. 100 Nights of Hero follows Cherry (Maika Monroe), a heroine tasked with proving her loyalty to her husband while he is away. However, her plans are complicated by the emergence of a convoluted love triangle and the machinations of Cherry’s maids, which reportedly include Emma Corrin, Markella Kavenagh, and Charli XCX herself. Inspired by Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel, which itself draws from The Arabian Nights, this film is poised to captivate and challenge audiences.
Erupcja
- Director: Pete Ohs
- Release Date: TBC
Erupcja, meaning ‘eruption’ in Polish, features one of Charli’s first leading roles. The film explores the volatile relationship between two childhood friends. A volcano metaphorically erupts whenever Bethany (Charli XCX) and Nel (Lena Góra) reunite, while the romance between Bethany and her fiancé Rob (Will Madden) generates far less fiery passion. Shot in Warsaw over ten days, Erupcja seems to echo the emotional complexity found in Charli’s own track, ‘Girl, so confusing’.
Sacrifice
- Director: Romain Gavras
- Release Date: TBC
In Romain Gavras’s satirical eco-thriller, Sacrifice, Charli XCX embodies an environmentally conscious pop star, embodying the “mother” in Mother Nature. Gavras, known for his work with artists like Jamie xx, Justice, and M.I.A., brings his distinctive visual style to this collaboration. The film follows Joan (Anya Taylor-Joy), a zealot who kidnaps three celebrities with the intention of saving the world through human sacrifice.
The Gallerist
- Director: Cathy Yan
- Release Date: TBC
Cathy Yan’s first feature since the DC blockbuster Birds of Prey, The Gallerist, offers a darkly comic exploration of the New York art scene. The narrative centres on an unscrupulous art dealer (Natalie Portman) and her beleaguered assistant (Jenna Ortega) as they attempt to sell a dead body at Art Basel. Charli’s character is described as an influencer with bleached brows, adding another layer to this satirical ensemble. Early buzz suggests the film’s tone will sit somewhere between The Square and Velvet Buzzsaw, trading supernatural horror for a more grounded, subtle satire.
I Want Your Sex
- Director: Gregg Araki
- Release Date: TBC
Gregg Araki, a director synonymous with hedonism, DayGlo aesthetics, and pure camp, finds a perfect match in Charli XCX. In this erotic comedy-thriller, Araki’s first feature film in twelve years, Charli takes on a role against type as Minerva, a strait-laced graduate student. She plays the disapproving girlfriend of Elliott (Cooper Hoffman), who becomes the “sexual muse” to Olivia Wilde’s rebellious and significantly older performance artist.
Faces of Death
- Director: Daniel Goldhaber
- Release Date: TBC
Principal photography for Daniel Goldhaber’s follow-up to How To Blow Up A Pipeline was completed three years ago, with a release anticipated in 2026. This project is a reimagining of the 1978 cult classic Faces of Death. The film focuses on content moderators tasked with authenticating snuff films discovered on social media, which re-enact deaths from the original film. While details about Charli’s role remain scarce, she is set to share the screen with a talented cast including Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Jermaine Fowler, and Josie Totah.
Untitled Charli XCX/Takashi Miike project
- Director: Takashi Miike
- Release Date: TBC
For Charli, starring in Takashi Miike’s (known for Audition, Ichi The Killer, and One Missed Call) still-untitled slasher film is a “dream come true.” This sentiment is laced with irony, given Miike’s notoriously ultra-violent and nightmarish body of work. Charli, alongside Milly Alcock and Norman Reedus, will portray friends tormented by a demonic spirit they encounter in Kyoto, adding a chilling new entry to the J-Horror canon.
A Tree Is Blue
- Director: Dakota Johnson
- Release Date: TBC
In 2022, Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt charmed audiences with Cha Cha Real Smooth, a tender coming-of-age story. This collaboration solidified the bond between the on-screen mother and daughter. Now, Johnson is making her directorial debut, with Burghardt serving as screenwriter, to tell the story of a young, autistic woman breaking free from her overbearing family. Charli XCX is reportedly in negotiations to star alongside Jessica Alba and the exceptionally talented Burghardt, who is neurodivergent herself.
