Kelly Rowland made her big screen debut in the slasher film 'Freddy Vs. Jason', a crossover film directed by Ronny Yu in 2003. Cast as one of the female leads, she portrayed Kia Waterson, the frank best friend of lead character Lori Campbell, played by Monica Keena. Released to generally mixed reviews from critics, the movie topped the U.S. box office, gaining $36.4 million on its first weekend. Budgeted at $25 million, the film became a financial success, resulting in a worldwide box office total of $114.3 million.
After 'Freddy Vs. Jason', Kelly returned to the big screen, this time for a lead role in the romantic comedy 'The Seat Filler' hit theaters in the summer of 2005, starred opposite Duane Martin and Shemar Moore and executive produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. The film debuted at No. 18 in the box office top twenty for the week, grossing $4,812,287. It averaged $4,410 at 2,905 sites, and earned a total domestic gross ticket sales of $10,238,923. Worldwide, the film grossed $17,972,898, In the film, for which she recorded two songs, Kelly played a pop star who falls for an awards-show seat filler she mistakes for a high-profile entertainment attorney.Released to a limited number of festivals only, the film went straight to DVD in 2006.
