Surprise! Travis Scott is releasing a movie this week

Announced last year, rapper Travis Scott’s directorial debut has been kept under wraps and clouded by misinformation. For example, despite saying the film was “produced by A24” on the poster, IndieWire reports that A24 is not involved. But while confusion surrounding who exactly produced the thing lingers, Scott’s moving forward with a theatrical run. Timed with the release of his new album, Utopia, Scott’s film Circus Maximus will hit about 200 AMC theaters across the U.S. on Thursday, July 27. Maximus sounds like a visual album akin to Beyoncé’s Lemonade, a collection of music videos tied with a loose narrative. Scott didn’t skimp on the production, though. The poster, which given the A24 situation we should take with a grain of salt, advertises the shooting locations, including Denmark, France, Iceland, Nigeria, and Italy. He also landed an iconoclastic filmmaker for each location. Scott’s omnibus film credits six directors: Scott, Gaspar Noé, Harmony Korine, Nicolas Winding Refn, Vladimir Jóhannson, and Kahlil Joseph.

Scott also released a trailer for the movie, which looks appropriately surreal, trippy, and gorgeous, considering the collaborators. Here’s the logline:

Prepare to enter Circus Maximus as Travis Scott takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia. The film is a surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.

Both the album and Circus Maximus are a long time coming. Scott announced Utopia, his fourth studio album, in 2020. However, due to the tragic 2021 Astroworld Music Festival that resulted in 10 deaths, Scott found himself under investigation and facing serious litigation. Last month, a grand jury decided that Scott will not face criminal charges—though he still faces several civil claims accusing him of negligence.