The Idol

Sam Levinson, the creator of the Emmy Award-winning HBO drama Euphoria, is back with another spectacle fans are sure to devour: The Idol. When Euphoria Season 2 premiered, 2.4 million viewers tuned in, making the series the most-watched digital release on HBO ever.

When the Euphoria Season 2 finale aired, so many people wanted to tune in to see the ending that the HBO Max app literally crashed. So, of course, you know the timer is ticking for when Levinson fans can click on their screens to watch his new show, The Idol. 

While Levinson knows a thing or two about how to develop great TV, he had a little help in creating The Idol. Co-creators Reza Fahim and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye joined Levinson in the writer’s room, with The Weeknd also showing up on the sound stage to co-star in the series next to Lily-Rose Depp.

This new series has been a long time coming after being first announced in June 2021. Production began in November of that year but had to be halted due to The Weeknd co-headlining at Coachella with Swedish House Mafia the following spring. However, after nearly two years, the wait is almost over, and excited viewers will be able to watch the show in June 2023.

Here is everything we know about Sam Levinson’s new show, The Idol.

FIRST LOOK AT THE IDOL TRAILER FEATURES RISQUE DANCING

Get excited because the first look at HBO’s new show, The Idol, is here. Released on October 6, 2022, The Idol’s trailer reveals a sexy, seductive look at the new HBO drama. As is the mark of a trailer well done, the teaser doesn’t give away any specifics for the upcoming series, but it does hint at the drama to come while painting a delicious picture of the tone of the show. 

Viewer discretion is advised: this show will be risque. It will feature steamy, heart-jolting relationships. And the drama will be top-of-the-line.

IT’S SAID TO BE ABOUT THE “SLEAZIEST LOVE STORY”

Hold on to your popcorn buckets, this show is juicy AF. Dubbed the “sleaziest love story,” The Idol is about an up-and-coming pop star named Jocelyn (Depp) who falls into a tumultuous, wild love affair with a Los Angeles night club owner, self-proclaimed guru, and leader of a modern-day cult named Tedros (The Weeknd).

As a pop star and nightclub owner, the pair are knee-deep in the Hollywood music scene and all the scandals that come with partying, drinking, and, uh, everything else. After experiencing a nervous breakdown, Jocelyn is determined to reclaim her crown as the sexiest pop star while simultaneously balancing her new and complicated relationship with Tedros.

LILY-ROSE DEPP IS SET TO STAR, ALONG WITH THE WEEKND AND SUZANNA SON

Lily-Rose Depp is set to play Jocelyn, the pop star. Depp is the daughter of actor, producer, and musician Johnny Depp and French actress and model Vanessa Paradis. Depp began her acting career with a small cameo in the 2014 comedy horror film Tusk when she was 15. Since then, she has acted in 13 films with two upcoming features in the works and has been nominated for Ceasar Awards for Most Promising Actress. The Idol will be her first television role.

On the official HBO page promoting the series, the network claims the idea for The Idol came from the “sick and twisted minds” of Levinson and The Weeknd. In addition to co-creating the upcoming drama, The Weeknd will also be co-starring next to Depp as Tedros, the self-help guru and leader of a cult.

The main cast includes Suzanna Son as Chloe. Son is an upcoming actress who is most well-known for playing Strawberry in the 2021 black comedy film Red Rocket. Jennie Kim, the South Korean singer and rapper, plays Angel.

Additional cast includes Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek), Jane Adams (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Eli Roth (Death Rider in the House of Vampires), Rachel Sennot (Shiva Baby), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite Is My Name), and Hari Nef (Assassination Nation).

THE IDOL WILL EMPLOY SINGERS AND DJS IN MANY OF THE EPISODES

The Australian singer-songwriter and YouTuber Troye Sivan, the Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, and musician Ramsey will appear in all six episodes of The Idol Season 1. 

Mike Dean, who did the soundtrack to Suicide Squad and Fifty Shades of Grey, will make his acting debut in The Idol. Dean will also appear in all six episodes.

THE SHOW CHANGED A LOT DURING PRE-PRODUCTION 

Amy Seimetz, co-creator of The Girlfriend Experience, was meant to direct The Idol but ended up leaving the project after HBO did a complete overhaul and reworked the angle of the series. Over the past two years, the series has gone through several style, story, cast, and crew changes before finally landing on the show we will see this June. Whatever changes the studio decided to take on the project have evidently been completed, as Fahim, Levinson, and The Weeknd have all been given official credits as writers for the series. 

Levinson will take over as director. Levinson already has experience directing from working with the cast of Euphoria on several episodes and directing the feature film Malcolm & Marie. Like Euphoria, The Idol is expected to feature a gritty party scene full of sex, drugs, and violence. With Levinson taking on more of the director’s responsibility in addition to writing, it will be interesting to see how far he takes it.

A24 is the production team behind The Idol. It is best known for producing Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems, Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar Nominated Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Halina Reijn’s horror-comedy thriller, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. 

THE IDOL WILL RELEASE ON HBO SOMETIME IN JUNE 2023

An official release date has not been set. However, HBO has announced the show will start airing in June 2023. The show will air on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max. The first season will have six episodes.