Dua Lipa takes Hollywood by storm by landing a role in the Barbie movie opposite Margot Robbie
WITH hit albums, multiple awards, sold- out shows and singalong tunes, Dua Lipa has more than proved herself when it comes to music.
Now the Levitating singer is cement her status as a Hollywood A-lister after landing a role in the big-budget Barbie film opposite Margot Robbie.
Dua, who will make her debut on the big screen in spy thriller Argylle later this year — having filmed that in 2021 — is gearing up for her next role, in the Barbie movie, which is being shot in the UK.
LOT OF BUZZ
A film insider said: “Dua is making waves in both music and movies.
“She really impressed in Argylle and word spread around Hollywood about how good she was.
“Now she has joined the cast of Barbie alongside big names including Margot, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell and Saoirse Ronan.
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“Although Argylle is a big film in its own right, Barbie will be a breakthrough part for Dua because there is so much hype around it.
“Dua is quickly proving there is far more to her than just being a pop star. She has an exciting future ahead of her in films.”
When I heard there was a film being made about Barbie, I thought it might be destined for landfill like the dolls themselves, but it is the subject of a real buzz in the movie world.
The script is under wraps but is said to be about a doll kicked out of Barbie Land for not being perfect enough.
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One of its stars, Simu Liu, said this week that he was told by an agent it was one of the best scripts he has ever read.
Simu said: “He said, ‘If I could stake my career on any one script, it’s the Barbie script. I really think you should do it’.”
Dua isn’t giving herself an easy ride. She kicked off her Future Nostalgia tour in the US in February and, after smashing the UK leg, is now performing across Europe.
Alongside that she is finalising her third album, which she revealed recently was almost finished.
As well as being one of the world’s most in-demand pop stars, Dua is giving her best shot at becoming the hardest working.
RINA IS HELL-BENT ON GLORY
RINA SAWAYAMA became a hit in pop circles with debut album Sawayama two years ago and now she’s ready to crack the charts with her new music.
Last night Rina, who counts Sir Elton John among her biggest fans, dropped new single This Hell, a belting, maximalist tune sure to help her become a household name in 2022.
And she hopes it will help empower people after a tough two years, which also saw her struggle.
In an exclusive chat, she said: “I love hiding politics in a pop song and that’s what I hope I’ve done with this.
“The deeper story behind it is that I’ve got a lot of friends who have been told by very traditional religious beliefs that they are wrong for existing and it has caused so much trauma in their lives.
“It’s about having a party in hell, because someone tells us we’re going to hell. Like, ‘Oh we’re going to hell? Cool, I’ll get all dressed up then’.”
It is the first single from her second album Hold The Girl, out on September 2, which will be filled with “bigger” songs than her debut and some inspired by her idols including Lady Gaga.
Explaining an encounter with the superstar last month, Rina explained: “I met her for the first time because our bus broke down outside Vegas.
“I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we just spent the night in Vegas and saw a show, Imagine if Gaga is on’.
“She is so influential to me. I don’t really get nervous before meeting people, but I was a bit nervous before meeting Lady Gaga.”
EL-BEAU GREASE BECKY
IF she gets bored of her chart success, Becky Hill could have a future in the West End.
She wore this striped skirt and crop top for the opening night of Grease The Musical, which stars Peter Andre, at London’s Dominion Theatre on Tuesday
Becky told me: “I am looking forward to the live vocals on stage. This is why I love musicals, because there are always such incredible vocalists.”
Asked if she would turn her hand to singing in shows, she added: “Maybe, yeah.”
For now, her music is coming before anything else – even her wedding.
Becky, who got engaged to her long-term partner Charlie Gardner in January, said: “We are a long, long way off. We are doing album number two first before we start thinking about a wedding.”
BRING ME THE WIFE ON FOR OLI
BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes is keeping things in the family, co-writing and producing his wife’s songs too.
He married Brazilian model Alissa Salls in 2017 and she has launched a career of her own under the name Alissic.
But judging by the title, they may not have had much fun making her new single Everybody’s Dead Inside,
She said: “The song was made in two days in a dark room.
“I had a vision that I needed to say goodbye to my depressed self and say hello to the rainbow fairies.”
A source said: “Oli and Alissa are very much in love and really bonded over their love of music.
“He helped persuade her to dive into making it and they have been working on a lot of it together.”
She made her live debut at the weekend at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton and if she wants more live dates in the diary, I’m sure Oli will be happy to have her join him on the road.
TATT’S A BIT ODD BLUD
SOME things are best not shared, and that includes getting a tattoo done – although Yungblud clearly thought otherwise, and livestreamed the procedure for his fans.
And while there are some horrendous tatts in showbiz, his latest artwork is right up there with the worst.
The singer showed off the inking of his “manifesto” on the left side of his ribcage as he announced that his self-titled album will be out on September 2.
But I’m not even entirely sure what the second half of his message really means.
It reads: “Never compromise. Imperfection is perfection. Embrace the strange. Never judge. Tell the truth. Pink socks. Beer. Move.”
Before getting it done, he told fans: “I’m gonna get it tattooed on my ribs because I’ve heard it’s the most painful place you can get a tattoo.
“And it pains me the most when people misunderstand me.
“I want it to be on my body for the rest of my life so I get up every morning and I’m reminded why I’m doing it.”
It will also help to remind Yungblud when he needs to buy new socks or more beer.
PAOLO NUTINI has announced a UK and European tour for the autumn to follow up the release of his album Last Night In The Bittersweet in July.
He will perform in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Hull, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday at 9am.
The New Shoes singer is playing a string of tiny warm-up shows in London this week, with fellow Scotsman Lewis Capaldi at his show at the 100 Club on Tuesday.
NEIGHBOURS ABBA FREE SHOW TICKET
THERE are just eight days to go until ABBA Voyage launches at its custom-made arena in East London.
But the band’s stars Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are opening the doors to their state-of-the-art live show a little earlier for lucky locals.
Residents in the area have been invited to the rehearsal performances tomorrow night and on Sunday for free.
The tickets were dished out on a first come, first served basis, with those lucky enough to bag them getting the first ever look at the ground-breaking show.
I can think of plenty of people who would wish they could move into that postcode to get an early showing.
The residency is the first of its kind and will see digital “Abbatars” of the foursome singing some of their biggest hits.
A ten-piece band will back the digitalised pop stars at the gigs and The Sun will bring you the full scoop on the shows next week.
The group are set to make millions from it, but it has been giving Bjorn sleepless nights.
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He said: “It’s an immense risk and most people I talk to don’t appreciate that.
“They say, ‘Oh, it’ll be fine’. Sometimes I wake up at four in the morning and think, ‘What the hell have we done?’”