What is Frank Ocean up to now? Apparently, he’s directing a movie.
As reported by Variety on Jan. 30, the R&B artist has begun shooting his directorial debut in Mexico City. The as-of-yet untitled film will feature David Jonsson, a rising star known for his roles in “Alien: Romulus” and the HBO series “Industry.” Further details about the film are unknown.
This project marks the biggest creative venture for the singer-songwriter since his critically acclaimed album “Blonde,” released in 2016. The avant-garde LP — regarded by many as a classic — features a fusion of R&B, indie rock, rap and more. In the nine years since “Blonde,” Ocean has released a handful of singles and made a few public appearances but has otherwise largely withdrawn from the spotlight. The status of his highly anticipated third studio album remains unknown — an unusual development for an artist of his stature.
There was a time when things were looking up for fans of Ocean’s music. The artist was quite active in the years following “Blonde,” appearing on albums by numerous high-profile artists, including Tyler, the Creator’s “Flower Boy,” Jay-Z’s “4:44” and Travis Scott’s “Astroworld.” He made rare interview appearances in The New York Times and W Magazine and delivered an even rarer festival performance at FYF Fest in Los Angeles.
In 2019, Ocean seemed to be ramping up for the release of his third LP. He released the singles “DHL” and “In My Room” in late 2019, followed by “Cayendo” and “Dear April” in 2020. The songs were aesthetically reminiscent of “Blonde,” featuring spacy soundscapes and a mélange of musical genres. Ocean was also set to headline Coachella later that year, an event many artists use to boost the popularity of their new music. But the music festival was canceled in mid-2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the cancellation announcement, Ocean’s brother, Ryan Breaux, tragically passed away in a car crash.
Ocean hasn’t released any music on streaming services since 2020, becoming more elusive and focusing on creative endeavors beyond his music.
In 2021, Ocean launched Homer, a luxury jewelry brand that sells globular Y2K-esque designs in candy-coated colors. The virtuoso made a memorable appearance at the Met Gala that year, accompanied by a green animatronic baby sporting a Homer onesie. His inspiration for the look, was in his words: “Movie magic, America… I don’t know.”
Ocean’s last major foray into the public eye was his infamous Coachella performance in 2023. After sustaining an ankle injury, last-minute alterations were made to his weekend-one performance. Ocean arrived on stage an hour late and spent half of the show dancing to prerecorded vocals. He performed the rest of the songs hunched over a microphone surrounded by stage equipment. The show was eventually cut short, having run 25 minutes over Coachella’s Sunday night curfew.
Ocean did make a brief mention of new music at the show.
“It’s been so long. Everybody I’ve talked to has said how long it’s been, so long, so long … but I have missed you,” said Ocean. “I want to talk about why I’m here, because it’s not because of the new album. Not that there’s not a new album, but there’s not right now. It’s not right now.”
Soon after, Ocean cancelled his weekend-two performance, citing his doctor’s advice.
It may surprise some to learn of Ocean’s pivot towards filmmaking, but the artist’s cinephilia is well documented. From an “Eyes Wide Shut” reference on “Novocane” — “I’m feeling like Stanley Kubrick / This is some visionary shit / Been tryin’ to film pleasure with my eyes wide shut / But it keeps on moving” — to a song off his debut album titled “Forrest Gump,” film references are a mainstay in Ocean’s catalogue.
Ocean also has some experience directing. In 2016, Ocean released a visual album titled “Endless,” which featured a video of Ocean building a spiral staircase in a vacant monochromatic woodshop set to his trademark ethereal melodies. He also directed the music video for his single “Biking” and the lyric video for “In My Room.”
With cameras just beginning to roll on Ocean’s new film, it looks like audiences may be waiting a while for the entertainer’s next project. But they will be here waiting — as long as it takes. Ocean, with his enchanting falsettos and nebulous disposition, has transfixed a generation. Whatever he has in store, it’s sure to be worthwhile.
Drew Askeland is an Arts & Entertainment Apprentice for the winter 2025 quarter. He can be reached at daskelan@uci.edu.
Edited by Alaina Retodo and Jaheem Conley