100 Nights of Hero director Julia Jackman has explained how “Von Dutch” singer and global pop icon Charli XCX came to star in the film in her first major acting role.
While Charli XCX played a, um, brattier version of herself in Prime Video’s gay college comedy Overcompensating earlier this year, and she’s also lined up a half a dozen other roles, Jackman was officially the first director to cast her in a film.
The Grammy award-winning pop titan plays “mythical fairy-tale figure” Rosa in 100 Nights of Hero, which also stars Mary & George actor Nicholas Galitzine and The Crown’s Emma Corrin.
Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Isabel Greenberg, which itself is based on historic folk tales collection One Thousand and One Nights, 100 Nights of Hero explores the queer love triangle between Manfred (Galitzine), Hero (Corrin) and Cherry (Longlegs star, Maika Monroe).
“100 Nights of Hero watches as a charming houseguest [Galitzine] arrives at a remote castle and the delicate dynamic between a neglectful husband, his innocent bride Cherry, and their devoted maid Hero is thrown into chaos,” reads the film’s official synopsis.
In the movie’s recent beguiling trailer, Charli XCX is seen in role playing an instrument as part of a mystical dream sequence.
While the singer’s role in 100 Nights of Hero isn’t a leading one, it’s fairly sizable, and it sounds as though the “Apple” hitmaker was the only pop superstar for the job.
Speaking to Variety recently, Jackman explained that XCX was “perfect” for the part of Rosa, and revealed how the musician came to be in the film.
“It was before the news had broken that she was interested in acting,” Jackman said.
“It was a very pleasant surprise when someone said to me: I think she might vibe with the film.”
The duo met following XCX’s performance at Glastonbury in 2024, while her album Brat was quickly becoming the record of the summer.
“She had brought her iPad and her notes and was very open and keen to not force things,” Jackman continued.
“And as we were speaking, I heard her dry sense of humour and there was a shyness and demureness I wasn’t expecting. So I felt that she could be perfect to play this mythical fairy-tale figure.”
While 100 Nights of Hero might have been the first movie Charli XCX was officially cast in, she’s since been attached to several other projects, including Erupcja featuring Jeremy O. Harris, which is set to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 4 September.
She will also star alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, and Chris Evans in action comedy film Sacrifice, which will also premiere at TIFF. She will then star in Faces of Death with Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira, I Want Your Sex with Olivia Wilde, The Gallerist with Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega, and The Moment with Alexander Skarsgård, the latter of which she is co-producing.
100 Nights of Hero will premiere at Venice Film Festival on 5 September, and will close London Film Festival on 19 October.
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