Charli XCX and Martin Scorsese Reunite for Upcoming Psychological Thriller What Happens at Night

Pop innovator Charli XCX and legendary director Martin Scorsese are joining forces once again. Following their recent creative crossover on the striking cover art for Charli’s multidisciplinary project Music, Fashion, Film—which famously brought together three cultural titans from distinct fields, including Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale and fashion icon Marc Jacobs—the multidisciplinary artist is set to appear in Scorsese’s next cinematic venture.

According to reports from Variety, Charli XCX will make a special cameo appearance in Scorsese’s upcoming psychological thriller, What Happens at Night. The highly anticipated project boasts a star-studded lead cast, featuring Academy Award winners Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio. In the film, Lawrence and DiCaprio portray a married couple who travel to a remote, snowy European small town with the intention of adopting a baby, only to encounter a series of unsettling and transformative experiences. The film is being developed as a major co-production between Apple and StudioCanal, though a definitive release date has not yet been announced by the studios.

This burgeoning creative relationship between the pop superstar and the veteran filmmaker highlights Charli XCX’s rapidly expanding footprint in the world of cinema. The collaboration follows closely on the heels of the rollout for Music, Fashion, Film, a project that underscored her distinct ability to bridge high fashion, avant-garde music, and prestigious filmmaking.

The move onto Scorsese’s set further solidifies what has been an extraordinarily prolific and transformative period for Charli in the film industry, a trajectory that she has reflected on with characteristic self-awareness. On the Music, Fashion, Film track "Camera," she candidly poses the pointed, introspective question: "Is it fuckin’ stupid if I try to be a girl on the screen when I’m turning thirty-four?"

Despite any playful hesitation voiced in her lyrics, Charli XCX has spent the past year diving headfirst into dramatic and experimental cinema, proving herself to be a formidable presence on the big screen as well as behind the mixing console and the microphone. Over the past year alone, she has secured roles in a diverse array of striking cinematic projects. Her acting resume has grown to include appearances in Gregg Araki’s provocative feature I Want Your Sex, Pete Ohs’ indie project Erupja, and Aidan Zamiri’s unique mockumentary The Moment, which captured the chaotic, hyper-visible cultural phenomenon surrounding her critically acclaimed, era-defining album BRAT.

Beyond her on-screen performances, Charli’s fingerprints are increasingly visible across contemporary film soundtracks and musical scores. She notably crafted the soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights. That atmospheric musical endeavor yielded her first-ever collaboration with legendary avant-garde musician John Cale on the haunting track "House." Furthermore, her creative reach extended into A24’s psychological drama Mother Mary, for which she contributed vital songwriting talents, demonstrating an uncanny knack for curating and composing music that mirrors the tense, complex emotional landscapes of modern cinema.

As production details for What Happens at Night continue to develop, the combination of Scorsese’s masterful direction, Lawrence and DiCaprio’s magnetic screen presence, and Charli XCX’s eclectic cultural cachet promises a project that will capture the attention of cinephiles and pop culture enthusiasts alike.