In a nutshell:
A new HBO show co-created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and The Weeknd, in which the latter will star opposite Lily-Rose Depp, The Idol explores the complicated relationship between a cult leader and a pop star on the rise. Production was halted due to artistic differences between The Weeknd and director Amy Seimetz back in April 2022, but then got back on track.
Is The Weeknd moving into television?
Yes, The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – is creating this show in collaboration with Reza Fahim and Levinson with A24 for HBO. On top of that, he is involved in pretty much every other aspect of the series, as co-writer, executive producer and star. It will be his first major acting role, following his memorable appearance as himself in Uncut Gems.
What’s the plot of The Idol, exactly?
The log line for the six-part series simply reads: “a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol”. Tesfaye will take the role of the cult leader, while Depp will play the pop star, Jocelyn.
The latter expanded further in an interview on 16 November 2022, stating that the biggest challenge of her part was not memorising choreography but “understanding how alone you can feel, even when everybody’s watching you.” She went on to namecheck Madonna, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey as reference points for the character of Jocelyn and said of her collaborator, Sam Levinson: “He draws from the person who’s right in front of him and what he already sees in you as a person, and he finds ways to weave that into your character.” Of the sexually charged nature of the show she added, “I’m not interested in making anything puritanical. I think this show is fearless, and that’s something that I’ve been really excited and proud to dive into.”
Who else is in the cast of The Idol?
The Weeknd has recruited a mix of established names, up-and-comers and real world musicians. In addition to himself and Depp, there’s pop star Troye Sivan, Steve Zissis and Juliebeth Gonzalez. TV On The Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe will have a recurring role, too, along with Melanie Liburd, Maya Eshet, Tyson Ritter, Kate Lyn Sheil, Liz Caribel Sierra, Elizabeth Berkley, Nico Hiraga, Anne Heche and Finley Rose Slater. On 18 July, HBO confirmed that yet another industry stalwart had joined the ensemble: Blackpink’s Jennie Kim, in an undisclosed role. Also in the mix? Hank Azaria and Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy.
Is there a trailer for The Idol?
So far, there are four. On 17 July, HBO released an enigmatic teaser for the new show – and its hallucinatory visual style has shades of Euphoria. It opens with a choreographer putting a group of dancers through their paces, before the camera cuts to frantic shots of someone being given a lap dance, popping Champagne bottles, and Depp and Tesfaye reclining in the backseat of a convertible as the music builds to a crescendo.
We also get a glimpse of grand mansions; Depp practising and then performing a vigorous routine; plates of cocaine; cash being counted; and Tesfaye at the head of a dinner table, asking Depp, “Why don’t you just be yourself?” She scowls at him in response. “Because there’s nothing about me that’s relatable.” Cue wild partying in neon-drenched clubs, Tesfaye and Troye Sivan kicking back on a sun-drenched terrace, and things getting steamy between Tesfaye and Depp in a recording studio. “Do you trust me?” he whispers, and she laughs. “Not really.” Bold, blood red text then invites viewers to enjoy “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood”.
Fans had to wait another month for a second snippet of what’s to come: on 21 August HBO unveiled another clip that opens with the tagline, “from the gutters of Hollywood / Comes a new HBO original series”. It features Depp’s Jocelyn strutting through record company offices, shooting a music video, and casually smoking a cigarette in a sauna, before turning to her female companion to ask: “What was the name of that club?” Cue another party scene, with strobe-lighting illuminating the bodies undulating on the dance floor.
A third teaser followed on 6 October, featuring Depp’s Jocelyn dancing, being mobbed by paparazzi and receiving direction from Tesfaye. “We need a fucking hit,” says one of the record company executives as she continues rehearsals, while another says, “I’m worried she’s having another psychotic break.” Then, contracts are signed, more plates of cocaine are shared and the convertible carrying Depp and Tesfaye is shown speeding off between palm trees.
The fourth trailer, launched on 17 April 2023 and soundtracked to Britney Spears’s “Gimme More”, ups the ante even further, showing Depp’s Jocelyn posing provocatively, doing shots and dancing, while her friends and co-workers grow increasingly concerned. “Pop music is the ultimate Trojan horse,” Tesfaye says at one point, looking sinister. “You get people to dance, you get people to sing along.”
When is The Idol coming out?
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, The Idol will land on screens in June.
What happened with production on The Idol?
The show had already shot four to five episodes – which looked fabulous in leaked set pictures that showed Lily-Rose Depp in a flower-print halterneck two-piece, holding hands with The Weeknd – before things suddenly came to a halt. Amy Seimetz exited as director and it was announced that the series would undergo a change in creative direction. According to unconfirmed reports from on-set sources, Tesfaye took issue with the show making too much of the “female perspective” via his co-star Lily-Rose Depp, rather than his own. (Guess we know who the real idol of this show is supposed to be…) Depp remained on board, but the show was reworked, with changes to both the cast and crew.
This article was originally published Vogue UK.
