The Weeknd Inspires New Batman Sequel with ‘Call Out My Name’

The Weeknd is stepping into the spotlight with his first feature film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, hitting theaters next month. But one of his older songs is already making waves in a completely different movie universe.

Matt Reeves, director of 2022’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, recently shared new details about the upcoming sequel, The Batman Part II. He told IGN that Bruce Wayne will be “heartbroken” at the start of the film. And in a recent interview with IndieWire, Reeves revealed:

“The Weeknd’s ‘Call Out My Name’ was a big inspiration for what Bruce is dealing with when we see him again.”

“Call Out My Name” opens The Weeknd’s 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy. The music video begins with him walking alone down a dark street—and then, in a dramatic moment, a swarm of bats flies from his mouth as he sings the hook. The visuals seem to echo the emotional weight Reeves is bringing to Batman’s next chapter.

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) took notice. On April 30, he posted a snippet of the IndieWire article on his Instagram Story, adding eye, broken heart, and bat emojis. He followed it up with a still image from the bat scene in his video, writing,

“lemme know if ya’ll want that seal moment,” while Seal’s hit “Kiss From a Rose” played in the background.

That song, by the way, has its own Batman legacy. Seal told The Kelly Clarkson Show that when “Kiss From a Rose” was first released in 1994, it didn’t get much attention. But director Joel Schumacher needed a romantic track for Batman Forever (1995), starring Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman. He chose Seal’s song, which ended up in a key scene and during the end credits—turning it into a lasting hit.