Everything We Know About The Weeknd’s New TV Show, ‘The Idol’
Hitmaking musician The Weeknd is one of the stars HBO’s upcoming series The Idol. While details around the show remain thin, fans are eagerly awaiting to see what the “Save Your Tears” singer will bring to the silver screen.
The Weeknd is starring in HBO’s ‘The Idol’
The titular character of The Idol is a pop star played by Lily-Rose Depp. She becomes romantically involved with a club owner (played by The Weeknd) who also happens to be the leader of a mysterious cult.
The show is set for release in 2022, with The Weeknd serving as co-creator and executive producer. He made his acting debut in the hit 2019 film Uncut Gems.
“When the multi-talented Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and Sam Levinson brought us The Idol, it was clear their subversive, revelatory take on the cult of the music industry was unlike anything HBO had ever done before,” HBO said in a statement about the show when it was announced.
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson is co-creating the series and will be a lead director for the series. Actors he’s worked with on Euphoria have commended him, including Jacob Elordi, who told Deadline, “I trust Sam and he’s a bit of a mad genius.”
Jennie Kim, Troye Sivan, and others also appear in the show
The Weeknd isn’t the only music industry star that will be a part of The Idol. Singer Troye Sivan and BLACKPINK member Jennie Kim are also a part of the show’s cast.
“I found the script very intriguing, so I wanted to be part of the series,” Jennie said in a statement to Korean news agency Yonhap about the show. “I feel very excited. I’ll work hard, so please watch me with affection.”
Other cast members include Debby Ryan, Rachel Sennott, and Hari Nef.
The show went in a ‘new direction’ in early 2022
HBO ordered The Idol to series in late 2021, and in April 2022, HBO said in a statement to Rolling Stone that it was undergoing a makeover.
“The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction,” the network said. “The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series.” Among the creative changes were the departure of actor Suzanna Son (and her replacement by Debby Ryan) and director Amy Seimetz.
