Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has unleashed the latest Brittney Spears-inspired trailer for his HBO series, The Idol. Led by Sam Levinson, a cast of Hollywood stars, including Lily-Rose Depp and Dan Levy, the series takes a deep look at a sick and twisted world of drugs, bright lights and pop music.
“After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America,” The Idol logline reads.
“Her passions are reignited by Tedros, a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”
Levinson has found success at HBO with his previous series, Euphoria, alongside The Weeknd’s frequent collaborator, Drake. However, his work with Tesfaye has come under a different level scrutiny. On March 1, 2023, Cheyenne Roundtree of Rolling Stone published a detailed story titled, “‘The Idol’: How HBO’s Next ‘Euphoria’ Became Twisted ‘Torture Porn’.” In the report, several members of the show’s crew said that the show had descended into a “rape fantasy” built for shock value rather than substance.
“There is no point. They’re just trying to see how much of a reaction they can get,” one crew member told Rolling Stone.
The Weeknd did not provide a detailed response to the report, but instead shared a clip from the show where his character, Tedros, questions the cultural value of Rolling Stone in today’s media landscape.
HBO appears to be moving forward with The Idol. Check out the trailer before the show premieres on HBO on June 4, 2023.
