Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO
The Idol, a new TV show from The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, will debut this summer, it has been confirmed. The series will launch on HBO and the recently-renamed streaming service Max, on June 4. Last week it was announced that the series will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Check out a new teaser trailer below.
The logline for the show states that The Idol stars The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, as Tedros "a nightclub impresario with a sordid past." He is introduced to Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, a young singer "determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America." Additional cast members include Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Jane Adams, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Rachel Sennott, Ramsey, Suzanna Son, and Hank Azaria.
Last month a number of people who worked on the production spoke out about their experience of poor working conditions on set, with reports of delays, reshoots, and creative differences. Director Amy Seimetz 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.”
