The musician-turned-actor is not a new concept. Will Smith was a rapper before he became a movie star. Madonna started acting not long after the release of her first album. Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar after getting kicked off American Idol. However, this doesn't mean that it isn't exciting when our favorite musicians show up on a cast list for the tenth time or make their onscreen debut.
The next two years promise star-studded biopics, blockbusters, and indie films featuring fan-favorite musicians. It doesn't matter if you like rap, pop, or something in between - there are movies with artists for everyone.
House of Gucci - Lady Gaga (November 24, 2021)
Ever since her Golden Globe-winning turn as The Countess in the 5th season of American Horror Story, Lady Gaga's acting career has been on everyone's radar. In 2018 she received further critical acclaim when she starred as up-and-coming singer Ally in A Star Is Born, a role that would give Gaga her first acting nomination at the Oscars.
House of Gucci puts Gaga in the hot seat once again. In the film, Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, a woman who marries Maurizio Gucci, the grandson of the founder of the Gucci fashion house. She is later convicted of organizing his death.
Don't Look Up - Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi (December 10, 2021)
Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi are no strangers to the world of acting. Grande got her start on Broadway, later starring in two Nickelodeon shows before appearing in the first season of Scream Queens. Cudi has over 12 acting credits to his name.
Don't Look Up is both performers' largest scale acting project to date. The film features an all-star cast of Oscar-nominated actors, including Leonardo Dicaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep, and is directed by comedy writer-turned-Oscar winner Adam McKay. With Don't Look Up, Grande and Cudi both have the opportunity to do some serious acting that will lead to future, and more substantial, roles in feature films.
Licorice Pizza - Alana Haim & Tom Waits (December 25, 2021)
Licorice Pizza, director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson's first film in four years, has built up a lot of hype because of its intriguing name and rather varied cast. A familiar face is Tom Waits, the singer-turned-actor with one of the most distinctive voices in music.
A less familiar face, for those that don't follow her rock band Haim, is Alana Haim. However, her being in this film isn't totally random, as Paul Thomas Anderson has directed nine of Haim's music videos. Licorice Pizza is Alana's feature film debut, and will possibly give her her first acting nomination. She is currently sitting in 8th place on Variety's list of 2022 Oscars predictions for Best Actress.
Marry Me - Jennifer Lopez & Maluma (Feb 11, 2022)
Jennifer Lopez is one of the prime examples of a musician whose transition to acting was a smooth one, and whose career has had longevity. Since her big break playing the iconic Tejano singer Selena in the movie of the same name, she has starred in a variety of films, some good (see Hustlers) and some bad (see Gigli). In Marry Me, Lopez plays a singer who ditches her unfaithful fiancé at the altar for a stranger in the audience.
Latin Grammy-winning singer Maluma plays Lopez's superstar cheating husband. There is no doubt that he can match Lopez vocally, but time will tell if he has the acting chops to play a compelling, or at least entertaining, villain.
Shotgun Wedding - Jennifer Lopez & Lenny Kravitz (June 29, 2022)
Lenny Kravitz's first acting credit was the singing voice of a character in The Rugrats Movie. He then graduated to playing versions of himself in the comedy classic Zoolander and an episode of The Simpsons, before scoring more prominent roles in the Oscar-nominated film Precious and the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise. With The Hunger Games in particular, Kravitz proved that he has what it takes to be a serious actor.
Shotgun Wedding, starring both he and Jennifer Lopez, is a romantic comedy about a couple whose destination wedding is crashed by a group of criminals. Kravitz plays Lopez's ex.
Don't Worry Darling - Harry Styles (Sept 23, 2022)
The first time viewers saw Harry Styles up on the big screen was in 2017 with his supporting role in the Christopher Nolan war film Dunkirk. Although his role was not as big as many One Direction fans would have liked, it was enough to capture the attention of other filmmakers who would go on to hire him for future projects.
Don't Worry Darling will see Styles in his first leading role. Directed by actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde, the film follows a 1950s housewife who discovers a mysterious truth about her husband. Details of the plot remain under wraps, but the trailer gives fans hints of a dark plot set against a suburban background.
Dua Lipa - Argylle (2022)
Since the release of her debut album in 2017, Dua Lipa has quickly climbed the charts as one of the most successful and popular pop stars of the last 4 years. Most recently, she received critical acclaim for her electro-pop album Future Nostalgia, winning both a Grammy and ample exposure on social media.
Lipa will make her acting debut in British director Matthew Vaughn's next film Argylle. Acting against the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and Catherine O'Hara, Lipa's acting chops will definitely be put to the test. If she puts as much charisma and energy into her acting performance as she does into her musical performances, she should be just fine.
Bette Midler - Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
During these uncertain times, many movie-lovers have turned to their favorite older films for comfort. Over the past two years, more and more sequels to these classic movies have been announced. One of these films is Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to the 1993 Halloween favorite about the witchy Sanderson sisters and starring the classic singer/actress Bette Midler.
Midler was equal parts glorious and dreadful in the original film. Although Disney has yet to release a trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, there is no doubt that she will bring her a-game to the sequel. Midler has worked fairly consistently as an actor since the late 1960s, giving her the experience and talent to wow audiences once again.
The Little Mermaid - Halle Bailey & Awkwafina (May 26, 2023)
At 21 years old, Halle Bailey seems to have the musician/actor routine down pat. After a few minor roles in television shows and movies, Bailey and her sister Chloe formed the singing duo Chloe x Halle. In 2018, she earned her first major acting credit as a supporting character in the comedy series Grown-ish.
Bailey will make her leading actress debut as Ariel in Rob Marshall's live-action The Little Mermaid, which co-stars the rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina. As it is with many musicians/actors, there is no doubt that Bailey will be able to charm audiences with her voice. As this is not her first acting role, there is also no doubt that she will know her way around the script.
Wicked - Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo (TBD)
As Wicked is originally a Broadway musical, it would make sense to put emphasis on singing-ability when choosing the actresses to play its two leads. When it was announced that Ariana Grande would be playing Glenda alongside Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, it was casting that fit like a glove.
Grande has a first-class voice, a wildly successful musical career, and a background in Broadway musicals, making her fit for this role. What's more, she has previous acting experience, including a role in Victorious, a Nickelodeon show about a performing arts school. Likewise, Erivo is a Tony winner for The Color Purple, and she is Oscar nominated for the movie Harriet. Not much else is known about Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the award-winning musical, but with Grande and Erivo in front of the camera, it's sure to be memorable.