HBO has set a premiere date for the highly anticipated music industry-based drama series “The Idol.”
The dark satire series, which follows aspiring pop star Jocelyn played by Lily-Rose Depp, will debut Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. on HBO and be available to stream on the new streaming platform Max. The show hails from creators Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Sam Levinson (“Euphoria”) and Reza Fahim.
The teaser, released alongside the premiere date on Monday, spotlights the sparks leading up to the twisted relationship between Jocelyn and mysterious nightclub owner Tedros (Tesfaye), who promises to slingshot her career to the top of the charts while encouraging her to let loose and enjoy her fame.
“He’s really, like, unlocked something in me,” Jocelyn says in the teaser as her management whispers about the “tough year” the star has faced. “Her press has been brutal,” Dan Levy’s character adds.
The official logline is as follows: “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. 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?”
In addition to Depp, Tesfaye and Levy, “The Idol” rounds out its cast with Troye Sivan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Jane Adams, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Rachel Sennott, Ramsey, Suzanna Son and Hank Azaria.
Co-created and written by Tesfaye, “Euphoria’s” Sam Levinson, who also directs, and producing partner Reza Fahim, “The Idol” was produced in partnership with A24. Tesfaye, Levinson and Fahim also serve as executive producers alongside Kevin Turen, Ashley Levinson, Joseph Epstein, Aaron L. Gilbert for BRON and Sara E. White.
The news comes just over a month after Rolling Stone reported that production on the series, which will premiere at this year’s Festival de Cannes, has been engulfed in a “sense of chaos,” with production delays, costly reshoots, last-minute script rewrites stunting development — a report that HBO vehemently denied.
“The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs,” HBO said in a statement to TheWrap at the time. “The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change. Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew. We look forward to sharing ‘The Idol’ with audiences soon.”
Originally ordered to series in November 2021, the controversy surrounding the series began long before the report’s circulation, however, as HBO revealed in April 2022 that the project was undergoing a major overhaul with significant reshoots and would be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly. The next day, director Amy Seimetz exited the series.
