Frank Ocean Reemerges with Directorial Debut in Upcoming Feature Indie Film

Entertainment News | TV & Film

Image via Rolling Stone

Unfortunately still no talk of a new album, but Frank Ocean is re-emerging from the shadows, and this time he’s behind the camera. Frank is reportedly directing his first indie film, said to be titled Philly, with rumored involvement from independent entertainment company A24. 

This marks a new creative venture for the two-time Grammy winner, who’s seemingly kept busy outside of teasing us with unreleased music. Most recently, he released Mutations, a 2023 photography booklet sold through his luxury brand, Homer (the company he launched in 2021 stocked with luxe jewelry and accessories like the viral $25,000 diamond-encrusted cock ring).

Production on the film began back in January 2025 in Mexico City and will star British actor David Jonsson and, just recently confirmed, Taylor Russell, the Canadian actress and filmmaker who already shares a bit of overlap with Frank in the film world. A24’s Waves, which debuted in 2019 featured Russell in its star-studded cast, alongside a soundtrack deeply shaped by Frank’s music. Songs like “Seigfried” played a big role in the film’s emotional tone and storytelling arc.

There’s no official word yet on the upcoming film’s plot, full cast, or release timeline but anticipation from fans is already building. 

One thing we do know: Frank Ocean is no novice when it comes to his pen. His metaphors and emotional vulnerability have influenced not only fans over the years, but artists like Beyoncé, to filmmakers like Trey Edward Shults who intentionally curated Waves soundtrack to heighten the film’s emotional experience. Frank’s ability to merge worlds through song makes this move into filmmaking feel less like a surprise but like a natural step in his evolution as an artist.

Image via CNN

Back in 2019, Frank wrote the foreword for the screenplay book of Barry Jenkins' Academy-Award winning Moonlight —a poetic, reflective piece that reads like a whispered archive. In it, he captures the beauty and subtle ache of the Black queer experience, an intimacy rarely seen and even less often centered. His reflections not only accompany the film, but truly deepen it.

Frank’s creative choices have never followed the conventional path. From releasing the visual album Endless just one day before dropping Blonde, to quietly building a luxury brand instead of chasing endless press cycles, he’s always moved on his own terms. This directorial debut feels no different, and if there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that Frank’s work arrives when it’s ready. It’s not rushed. It’s intentional and always worth the wait.