The Weeknd has recently shared the first teaser for his six-episode HBO series The Idol, which he co-created with Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim. The singer surprised the New Jersey crowd by attending his After Hours til Dawn concert at MetLife Stadium on Saturday by screening the preview.
The trailer features Lily-Rose Depp rehearsing a routine as rising pop star Jocelyn alongside 10 backup dancers. ‘Alright, music! 7, 8…’ a choreographer shouts. “Lick it! Spank it, drop it! Camera, money, more, more, more, orgy! Hit it!” The daughter of Johnny Depp, whose godfather is disgraced shock rocker Marilyn Manson, is then seen performing the same dance in full glam on the set of a music video.
The trailer then jumps to a large dinner party, an enigmatic LA club owner (The Weeknd aka Abel Tesfaye), who is the leader of a secret cult, asks Jocelyn, “Why don’t you just be yourself?’ Jocelyn flatly replies, ‘Because there’s nothing about me that’s relatable.” The minute-long trailer features flashes of the pair getting closer alongside shots of a knife, cocaine, nightclubs, and a Rolls Royce convertible. Titles tout The Idol as ‘the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood.’
At one point, Jocelyn stands on a balcony staring at a row of seven black-clad guards wielding large rifles, hinting at trouble to come. ‘Do you trust me?’ the cult leader asks her. Jocelyn shakes her head and smiles, ‘Not really.’ The A24 limited series also features Troye Sivan, Britney Spears, Jennie Kim, Elizabeth Berkley, Anne Heche, Hari Nef, Debby Ryan, Rachel Sennott, Steve Zissis, and Juliebeth Gonzalez.
Moreover, Deadline reported in April that The Idol’s sole director Amy Seimetz mysteriously exited the project ‘amid a major creative overhaul.’ ‘The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show,’ an HBO spokeswoman 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.’
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