After The Odyssey, Travis Scott Enters the Film World with a Paramount Pictures Deal

“A face… a fleet… a war… a man…” If you’ve seen The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s epic interpretation of Homer’s ancient poem detailing Odysseus's journey to return to Ithaca, you heard those opening lines spoken by Travis Scott. Not the name you’d expect to see in a film from one of the greatest directors of the 21st century. That’s not a knock to Travis, but he’s not a trained actor. However, while he may lack some on-screen charisma and presence, La Flame is definitely a master curator and has an eye for greatness across both fashion and music. It seems Paramount Pictures is interested in what Scott may be cooking up in the film world, as the company announced today that it has signed a first-look deal with his Cactus Jack imprint.

What is a First-Look Deal?

Travis Scott’s first-look deal with Paramount Pictures basically means that Scott will have to present new ideas, scripts, or concepts in film, TV, theater, and more to Paramount before he can find financing from competitors. In an interview with Variety, Paramount Pictures co-chair Josh Greenstein said, “Creativity emanates from every pore of his body, from the way he dresses to the cars to the music to his taste in film.” He continued, “His taste level moves culture. How many people can you say that about? Everything he touches becomes culture, and that’s a superpower.”

Paramount Pictures doesn’t necessarily have to pick up any of Scott’s ideas. Still, they’ll legally have to be the first option for Travis if he develops anything in the entertainment industry. If Paramount passes on a project, Travis can shop it around to other companies.

Travis Scott’s Foray Into Film

Though many will get their first glimpse of Travis Scott on the silver screen via The Odyssey, he has participated in a few different films throughout his career (not counting documentaries). His first appearance in a feature film was in the 2019 coming-of-age film Gully, though it was brief. A year later, in 2020, Christopher Nolan tapped Scott to write a song for his film Tenet, resulting in “The Plan,” Scott’s first original song for any motion picture. The song is played in the closing credits, with Nolan stating the track was “the final piece of a yearlong puzzle."

Shortly after, Travis Scott joined the cast of the animated short Trolls Holiday in Harmony from 2021, where he voiced Rhyme-a-saurus. But Scott would have his directorial debut for a feature-length film, albeit just 76 minutes long and co-directed by Gaspar Noé, Valdimar Jóhannson, Nicolas Winding Refn, Harmony Korine, and Kahlil Joseph, with Circus Maximus. He stars in the trippy and jet-setting film, but it’s more of a long-form music video. Scott would reunite with filmmaker Harmony Korine later that year for the experimental film Aggro Dr1ft, which was shot entirely in infrared.

Following his appearance in The Odyssey, Travis is set to star as himself in the comedy film Rolling Loud: The Movie, which stars Owen Wilson as a dad attending the hip-hop music festival with his 13-year-old son.

What’s Next for Travis Scott in Film

As of now, neither Travis nor Paramount Pictures has announced any future film projects, but he told Variety that he’s interested in dark thrillers, alluding to the recent success of films like Backrooms and Obsession. Scott and Paramount Pictures co-chair Josh Greenstein did share a bond over the cult classic film The Warriors, which Travis would be interested in remaking, though he’s unsure if it’d be a film or a TV series.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com