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If you’re one of those people who was left with a Euphoria-sized hole in your heart when the show’s season 2 finale aired in February, we’ve got good news for you. HBO’s new show, The Idol could be just what the doctor ordered. Created for television by Sam Levinson, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), and Reza Fahim, The Idol tells the story of a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult who enters into a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol.
Excited to know more about this music drama? Here’s everything we know about The Idol, from the cast to the streaming details.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on June 4, 2023
The Idol
TV-MADrama Release Date June 4, 2023 Cast Lily-Rose Depp , The Weeknd , Suzanna Son , Troye Sivan Main Genre Drama Seasons 1Does The Idol Have a Release Date?
The HBO series will premiere on June 4, 2023, at 9:00 PM ET on both HBO and the streaming service, Max (formerly known as HBO Max). The Sunday night slot is reserved for HBO's premium content, such as The House of the Dragon, Succession, Euphoria, and The Last of Us. Knowing that it will share such a prestigious company should be a shine if the network's faith in the series.
Where Can You Stream The Idol?
The Idol will be streaming exclusively on Max (formally HBO Max). As previously mentioned the series will also be airing live on the HBO channel.
Don’t have Max? Subscribe to the streaming service at $9.99 per month (comes with ads) or $14.99 per month (without ads).
What Is The Idol About?
The official logline for The Idol from HBO reads:
After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), 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?
Is There A Trailer For The Idol?
The first teaser for The Idol was released on July 17, 2022. Plot and character-wise, the trailer doesn't reveal much. But it does set the tone for what to expect. There’s partying dancing, drugs, romance, flashy cars, sex, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and more. The teaser also gave us a glimpse of Jocelyn’s relationship with Tedros in a scene where Tedros asks her “do you trust me?” and she responds with “not really.”
The second teaser, released on August 21, 2022, also doesn’t reveal much. It tells us the show is coming “from the gutters of Hollywood” and also sets the records straight on what cast members were still appearing in the show, following the reshoots.
The latest teaser for The Idol highlights Tesfaye and Depp's characters. It sets the show's tone in an exciting way. It's use of lighting and brings a feeling of unease, even in the more light-hearted moments, echoing what we get from Levinson's previous work.
The full trailer for The Idol was released on HBO's YouTube channel on May 30, 2023.
Who’s In The Cast Of The Idol?
Lily-Rose Depp stars as Jocelyn in The Idol. Depp is best known for her starring role of Isadora Duncan in the 2016 period drama, The Dancer, which earned her a nomination for César Awards for Most Promising Actress. She is also known for her role in films such as The King (2019) and Voyagers (2021).
Grammy Award Winning singer and songwriter Abel Tesfaye, best known as The Weeknd, will star as Tedros in The Idol. This isn’t the artist’s first venture into Hollywood. He appeared as himself in the 2019 thriller film, Uncut Gems. Another singer who will be starring in The Idol is Troye Sivan. Like The Weeknd, this isn’t Sivan’s first movie or TV appearance either. Sivan played a young Wolverine in the 2009 superhero film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He also played John "Spud" Milton in the Spud film trilogy (2010 - 2014).
Primetime Emmy Award winner, Dan Levy, who is best known for playing David Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), will also be in The Idol. News of Levy’s casting was revealed in the second teaser for The Idol. This came just a few days after it was announced that the actor would join the new season of Netflix’s hit drama comedy, Sex Education (2019 - present).
Suzanna Son, who is best known for playing Strawberry in the 2021 dark comedy film, Red Rocket, will also star in The Idol. On April 27, 2022, it was reported that Son, who was previously set to play one of the cult members, was not expected to return for the major reshoot, due to a change in creative direction. However, when the second official teaser for The Idol was revealed, it was confirmed that Son would still be in the show.
Jennie, a member of the girl group, Blackpink, will be making her acting debut in The Idol, under the stage name Jennie Ruby Jane. Other stars who will be in The Idol include the artist Moses Sumney, Jane Adams (Frasier) Eli Roth (Inglourious Basterds), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Hari Nef (Transparent), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite is my Name!) Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) and record producer, Mike Dean.
How Many Episodes Will The Idol Have?
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The Idol will have six episodes. Each episode will be roughly an hour-long meaning that the series will still have plenty of time to tell an impactful story. However, it is still two to three episodes shorter than other HBO titles, so that is something to keep in mind.
Who Is Making The Idol?
The Idol was first announced on June 29, 2021, when The Weeknd stated that he would be creating, executive producing and co-writing a drama series for HBO. In November 2021, principal photography for the show took place in and around Los Angeles, California. But, the show's production was temporarily halted in April 2022 due to The Weeknd co-headlining the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
It was initially reported that Amy Seimetz who co-created, co-wrote, co-directed, and executive-produced the Starz series The Girlfriend Experience (2016 - present), would direct all episodes of the show. However, on April 25, 2022, after many episodes of the show had already been shot, it was announced that Amy Seimetz had left the project. HBO released a statement explaining that:
“ 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.” They further stated that “the production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series.”
Sam Levinson reportedly took over and directed the new version of the show. Production of the new version of the show commenced in late May and was officially completed in July 2022.
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