Zayn Malik Co-Starring In, Writing New Music For ’10 Lives’ Animated Feature

Zayn Malik will pull triple-duty in the upcoming animated feature 10 Lives, for which he will write new music and perform a duet with Bridgerton star Simone Ashley. Variety reported that Malik and Ashley will both star in the film, in which the singer will play play “tough-guy twins Cameron and Kirk,” with Ashley voicing a student named Rose.

“I always enjoy my time in the studio creating from my perspective,” Malik told Variety. “While creating music for 10 Lives, I was able to immerse myself in a narrative that I hadn’t dictated and able to bring the characters’ emotions into the music rather than my own. I really enjoyed writing specifically to bring them all to life. It’s a film that’s not only fun to watch but has a very beautiful sentiment for people of all ages. I hope people love it, and the music we created really connects and transports them deeper into the 10 Lives world.”

Malik will also serve as the executive music producer on the movie, overseeing its musical creative direction. According to a description of director Chris Jenkins’ (Surf’s Up) movie, it tells the story of a “pampered and selfish cat who takes his many lives for granted. After carelessly losing his ninth live he begs for a second chance — and an opportunity to prove he can learn from his mistakes. When his wish is finally granted, however, he learns that it comes with some caveats.”

The movie will also feature voice work from Bill Nighy, Mo Gilligan, Sophie Okonedo, Dylan Llewellyn and Jeremy Swift.

“We always love bringing the worlds of film and music together and could not be more excited that we got to do this with Zayn on 10 Lives,” casting directors and music supervisors Robyn Klein and Jeremy Ross said. “A great film and a great song come from the same place. Combining his songwriting, acting and vocal skills, Zayn brought joy, emotion, and depth to the film while connecting and highlighting all of its important themes. This is Zayn at his absolute best.”

In addition to working on the 10 Lives music, Malik is also working on his next studio album for Mercury Records. The singer recently dropped the new single “Love Like This,” from his upcoming fourth album, his first release of new music since 2021’s Nobody Is Listening.