Dua Lipa's Sister Rina Steps Into the Spotlight with Gritty Role in British Crime Thriller

With her first significant acting role, Rina Lipa, the 24-year-old sister of international singing sensation Dua Lipa, is taking center stage. In the British crime drama 'A Gangster's Life,' she will play Scarlett, a brutal, no-nonsense criminal, in what seems to be a gritty, high-stakes tale of mobsters, treachery, and survival. This will mark her first big-screen debut. With the movie's 19th January, 2026 release date, Rina's foray into acting signifies a significant new phase in the Lipa family’s entertainment career. 

New Face, New Role: Rina Lipa Enters the Crime-Thriller World

In 'A Gangster's Life,' Rina Lipa will co-star with actors Tony Cook (from 'Dune: Part Two') and Jonny Weldon (from 'One Day'). She will play Scarlett, a cold-blooded, cunning member of a vicious crime syndicate in London, in the movie. The plot centers on two low-level con artists, Ant (Cook) and Dick (Weldon), who unintentionally meet Emery (played by Tomi May), a ruthless gangster boss. As they commit one scam too many, the pair are forced into Emery's brutal criminal underworld. 

Image Courtesy: Hollywood Life

Rina's character, Scarlett, joins Emery's group and uses Dick and the unfortunate Ant as puppets in a lethal game of murder, betrayal, and power. When a gang member winds up dead, chaos erupts, and the duo are forced to flee to Greece—but escape proves far from simple. Zak Fenning, an award-winning cinematographer who is now a filmmaker, is directing the movie for the first time. 

According to its creators, 'A Gangster's Life' pays homage to the gritty aesthetic and intensity of vintage British gangster movies like 'The Gentlemen and Lock,' 'Stock,' and 'Two Smoking Barrels.' The ensemble cast also includes actors such as Christina Gkioka, Bradley Turner and Sasha Latoya, promising a hard-edged, atmospheric crime thriller when the film drops digitally on 19th January, 2026 via Miracle Media.

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Image Courtesy: Gulf News

From Pop Star Sister to Silver Screen—The Lipa Legacy Expands

While Rina takes her first steps into film, her sister Dua Lipa has already made waves in Hollywood. Dua was previously featured as Mermaid Barbie in 'Barbie' (2023), and last year she played the lethal spy LaGrange in Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn, alongside heavyweights like Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell and Bryan Cranston. 

For Rina, entering the harsh, gritty world of a crime movie represents a daring departure from her sister's glitzy pop and mainstream movie persona. Her casting as Scarlett implies that the filmmakers are looking for authenticity—someone who isn't scared to accept the stakes, the depravity, and the moral uncertainty that come with being a mobster. The fact that this is also Zak Fenning's directorial debut adds a layer of raw, cinematic ambition.

Image Courtesy: Koimoi

All eyes will be on Rina as fans of the Lipa family and crime-thriller movies anticipate the film's premiere. Will she be able to give an engaging, terrifying performance? Will she step out from her sister's shadow and carve her own identity in film? Well, 'A Gangster's Life' could be just the beginning.

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