Grammy award winner The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye), has revealed the first trailer to his upcoming HBO Max series, The Idol. The show stars The Weeknd himself and Lily-Rose Depp. As an aspiring female pop star, Depp becomes romantically involved with a sleazy LA club owner and cult leader (The Weekend).
The trailer claims the series to be “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood” and judging by all of the drug-fuelled partying and hookups in the short teaser, the claim might not be that far of a stretch. The series will see the Oscar-nominated musician in his first major acting role after a short but sweet appearance in 2019’s Uncut Gems.
The A24 six-episode limited series was co-created by The Weeknd, Reza Fahim and acclaimed Euphoria director Sam Levinson. Additional cast members also include singer Troye Sivan, Blackpink’s Jennie, Tunde Adebimpe and Anne Heche.
Deadline revealed in April that The Idol’s director Amy Seimetz mysteriously walked away from the project “amid a major creative overhaul” leaving Levinson to take over.
“The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show,” an HBO spokesperson said in a statement. “They have aligned on a new creative direction. The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon.”
Before she departed from the project Seimetz stated in November of last year that the show is “set against the backdrop of the music industry, centres on a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult, who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.”
No official release date has been set for The Idol as of yet, but it is expected to air in late 2022 on HBO Max. Watch the first teaser trailer below.
