The Weeknd’s TV series The Idol will debut at the Cannes film festival

The line-up for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival was announced on Thursday morning with The Weeknd's TV series The Idol set to premiere alongside new films from directors including Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson.

The Idol has been long in development at HBO with teaser clips rolling out as far back as July 2022. The series is based around a nightclub impresario with a sordid past, played by Abel Tesfaye, and a young singer determined to break into the music industry (Lily-Rose Depp).

Last month a number of people who worked on the production spoke out about poor working conditions, with reports of delays, reshoots, and creative differences. Director Amy Semetz left the show, with multiple outlets reporting that she was forced out, partly due to Tesfaye’s worry that his vision was being too tinted by her “female perspective.”

The series will screen Out of Competition at Cannes, which takes place May 16-27. A date for its arrival on HBO remains unconfirmed. In addition to The Idol, The Weeknd is also writing a feature film alongside director Trey Edward Shults.

Among the other titles confirmed to premiere at Cannes this year are Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, and upcoming Hollywood blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Arthouse directors including Jonathan Glazer, Pedro Almodóvar, Alice Rohrwacher, Todd Haynes, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Ken Loach will also debut their latest projects on the Croisette.