If the likes of Empire and Glee have been your regular go-to shows over the years, there's a new music-focussed TV show in the making that could be right up your street.
Co-created by pop sensation The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), creator of popular teen drama Euphoria Sam Levinson and nightlife-entrepreneur turned writer and producer Reza Fahim, The Idol has plenty of impressive film-making talent attached to it.
It also sees a line-up of stellar stars signing up to feature in the series too, including model and actor Lily-Rose Depp.
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As well as co-writing and executive-producing the HBO series, which has been filmed in LA, 'Blinding Lights' singer The Weeknd also stars in the show alongside Depp.
If ever there was a time for a music industry series that showcases the complexities of having a relationship within a celebrity-fuelled industry, this is it. But the still-unreleased show has already been mired in controversy...
Here's everything you need to know about the series:
What's the plot of The Idol?
The Idol is set within Hollywood's music industry, and sees a self-help guru named Tedros (played by The Weeknd) who also heads up a modern day cult, develop a complex relationship with a burgeoning pop star named Jocelyn, who is played by Lily-Rose Depp.
Little else has been revealed about the plot points so far, but the trailers suggest it's going to be something of a darker, more shocking version of Euphoria – filled with sex, drugs, violence and rock'n'roll aplenty. The show's Instagram page even calls it 'the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood'.
Who stars in The Idol?
Lily-Rose Depp is one of the main stars in the series. She was recently seen on set donning a futuristic, sculpted look, accessorised with a miniature bag.
The actor stars alongside up-and-coming actors Juliebeth Gonzalez, Teen Wolf's Maya Eshet, Preacher's Tyson Ritter, House of Cards' Kate Lyn Sheil, and Liz Sierra and Finley Rose Slater from the family drama Playing With Fire.
Other actors confirmed for the series include Suzanna Son, Melanie Liburd, Tunde Adebimpe, Steve Zissis, Troye Sivan, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Nico Hiraga and Anne Heche.
They are joined by Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennot, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Dean, Ramsey, Hank Azaria and Blackpink's Jennie.
Further details of each cast member are yet to be revealed.
Britney Spears was rumoured to be starring in the series last November, when she revealed on Instagram that following the end of her conservatorship she'd been working on a movie called The Idol. A photo also emerged of the singer meeting with The Weeknd.
According to TMZ, however, Spears' team appeared to quash the rumours and clarified that she had no plans to return to acting.
What are the controversies surrounding The Idol?
The new series is already one of the most talked-about shows ever and it hasn't even been released yet.
On May 22, The Idol received a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. But, it wasn't without criticism from various media figures. According to Variety, the series contains several nude scenes in the first two episodes, and one scene shows 'revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp’s face'.
Film critics who have shared their thoughts following its premiere at the annual festival include New York Times’s Kyle Buchanan, who wrote: 'The Idol, or 50 SHADES OF TESFAYE: A Pornhub-homepage odyssey starring Lily-Rose Depp’s areolas and The Weeknd’s greasy rat tail.
'Love that this will help launch the HBO Max rebrand, should slot nicely next to House Hunters!'
As per Variety, 'Levinson’s worldview seems corrupt', according to critic Peter Debruge described it. He added: 'It shouldn’t take degradation and suffering to make Jocelyn stronger. Euphoria audiences won’t be too surprised by the shameful way he treats Depp’s character, as both she and the show appear trapped under The Weeknd’s thumb.'
It's also been described as 'toxic' by Rolling Stone.
Still, Depp is pleased with her latest role.
While making a rare comment about her father Johnny Depp, who also made an appearance at Cannes where his own movie Jeanne du Barry premiered, she told Entertainment Tonight: 'It's so awesome that we get to do projects that we're super proud of.'
The drama started last year, when show director Amy Seimetz (The Girlfriend Experience) suddenly departed from the project, despite having only finished 80% of the series. HBO explained that the show was set to undergo a major creative overhaul with a new cast and crew – though little has been said since, aside from reports that Tesfaye was worried the show might have too much of a 'female perspective'.
The news saw Levinson, of Euphoria, take the helm as director and start from scratch – a move costing millions of dollars, and that has since caused much controversy.
In early March 2023, a report by Rolling Stone was released that detailed how the show has 'gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails' since. Sources claim that Levinson 'dramatically ramped up the explicit content' and wrote scenes featuring 'disturbing sexual and physical violence'.
'What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century,' explained one production member. 'The things that we subject our talent and stars to, the forces that put people in the spotlight and how that can be manipulated in the post-Trump world.' However, 'It went from satire to the thing it was satirising,' they explained.
'It was a show about a woman who was finding herself sexually, turned into a show about a man who gets to abuse this woman and she loves it,' another source told Rolling Stone.
The report also contained claims about a toxic on-set environment. 'I would never work for [Levinson] ever again,' said one production source. 'I don’t think I’ll watch Euphoria again after working for him and knowing how he treats his crew.'
However, cast members including Depp have recently come out in support of Levinson. In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Depp said the Euphoria director was 'the best' she had ever worked with, and that she had never 'felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued'.
HBO also released a statement refuting the claims: 'The creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew.'
Who created The Idol?
The Weeknd, Levinson and Fahim are all behind the series' creation.
Writer and producer Joe Epstein has taken on the role of showrunner and writer on the series, and he, along with the aforementioned trio serving as executive producers.
Other executive producers include Kevin Turen, who has also worked on Euphoria, singer-songwriter Nick Hall, former co-executive producer of Grey's Anatomy Sara E. White, and Bron Studios co-founder Aaron Gilbert.
Is there a trailer for The Idol?
Yes! In fact, there are three official teasers for the show – and they've already racked up millions of views on YouTube. You can watch the latest, shared recently by HBO, below.
The second trailer teases the start of The Weeknd and Depp's on-screen relationship, opening with The Weeknd saying: 'Hello, angel,' before further scenes show Depp strutting into a record label and later greeting fans.
She's also seen exercising and dancing. Adams' character tells Levy's: 'That’s sex,' as she points to Depp filming a sensual music video outdoors.
'This is sex?' Levy asks.
'That’s sex. That’s what we’re selling,' Adams replies to a slightly startled Levy.
The first official teaser trailer for the series was released on July 17 2022, after it was first screened during the The Weeknd's recent concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as part of his Hours Til Dawn tour.
At the beginning of the trailer, the words 'sick and twisted' are used to described the minds of co-creators The Weeknd and Levinson before we see a montage of drugs, parties and Hollywood mansions.
'Lick it, spank it, drop it, camera, money...,' is chanted in the trailer, which indicates that the series is going to be rather explosive and anything but PG.
It also shows The Weeknd asking Depp: 'Why don't you just be yourself?' to which she responds: 'Because there's nothing about me that's relatable.'
What is the release date for The Idol?
After being teased that the trailer was 'coming soon' in 2023, we've now learned that The Idol will finally air on Sunday, June 4 on HBO and HBO Max. The series has also been selected to premiere at Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 16-27.
We will continue to update this article as more information comes to light.
