New Trailer for ‘The Idol’

So far, HBO’s new sequence ‘The Idol’ has been extra identified for the controversy swirling round it than the provocative content material of the present itself.

Created by ‘Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim and musician Abel “The Weekend” Tesfaye, ‘The Idol’ hit the headlines again in March when Rolling Stone revealed a behind-the-scenes report of artistic modifications, chaos and sexually difficult scenes.

Levinson, after all, is not any stranger to all that with ‘Euphoria’, however the news is threatening to swamp the present, even because it prepares to launch out of competitors on the Cannes Film Festival subsequent month.

Part of that news included the departure of unique director Amy Seimetz, who left in April 2022, main Levinson to step in and begin guiding the route of the present.

Here’s what HBO said at the time to Variety,

“‘The Idol’s’ artistic workforce continues to construct, refine, and evolve their imaginative and prescient for the present they usually have aligned on a brand new artistic route. The manufacturing will likely be adjusting its forged and crew accordingly to greatest serve this new method to the sequence. We sit up for sharing extra data quickly.”

(L to R) Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.

What’s the plot of ‘The Idol’?

The sequence stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a fame-hungry younger girl seeking to take over the entertainment industry. When she meets Tedros, a strong, sex-obsessed cult chief portrayed by Tesfaye, Jocelyn’s profession expands to new heights.

Jocelyn and her workforce are impressed by the Nineties exploits of Britney Spears and co. however beneath the steering –– management? –– of Tedros (who runs nightclubs however exerts a strong affect over those that enter his orbit), that skyrockets in a complete different route.

Lily-Rose Depp on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.

What was the reported behind-the-scenes drama on the present?

According to the Rolling Stone article, which included analysis interviews with a number of forged and members, the present started to alter from the Seimetz-era story of a fallen pop starlet seeking to reclaim her company to a degrading love story with a hole message.

Here’s what one crewmember mentioned,

“What I signed up for was a darkish satire of fame and the celebrity mannequin within the twenty first century. The issues that we topic our expertise and stars to, the forces that put individuals within the highlight and the way that may be manipulated within the post-Trump world. It went from satire to the factor it was satirizing.”

But a number of sources disputed these stories, with a press release from the corporate describing it as ,

“One of essentially the most thrilling and provocative unique applications. The artistic workforce has been dedicated to making a protected, collaborative, and mutually respectful working setting, and final 12 months, the workforce made artistic modifications they felt had been in one of the best curiosity of each the manufacturing and the forged and crew.”

The fact, as typically, seems to lie someplace in between. We’ll see if the narrative shifts as soon as the present lands on the Max streaming service on Sunday June 4th.

Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.