The Weekend has offered fans another sneak peak at his highly controversial forthcoming series, The Idol, which is set to premiere on HBO Sunday, June 4.
Released on The Weeknd’s official YouTube Tuesday (May 30), The Idol‘s latest trailer offers a more expanded look at what to expect from the upcoming series.
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The clip shows Joecelyn, the up-and-coming pop artist at the center of it all, played by actress Lily-Rose Depp, as she tries to climb her way to the top, with her man, Tedros (The Weeknd), a self-help guru, club owner and supposed leader of a modern-day cult, by her side.
The pair’s chemistry (and risky behavior) could not be more evident throughout the trailer, and while they look to be in love, Jocelyn’s inner circle seems concerned Tedros may have ulterior motives.
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“You’re the American dream. Rags to riches. Trailers to mansions. You are fucking Jocelyn,” said Tedros in the trailer.
Check it out below.
The Idol was first announced in June 2021 and began shooting in and around Los Angeles last November, with Euphoria’s Sam Levinson serving as the series’ co-creator. However, as production on the series progressed, it became steeped in controversy amid ongoing creative changes.
Back in March, Rolling Stone published an article about how the series descended into a “shitshow” following the departure of original director Amy Seimetz — as well as referring to it as “torture porn.”
The outlet spoke to 13 cast and crew members, with one person describing the series as “sexual torture porn.” Another said: “It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better.”
On the other hand, a lot of people are excited for the show, like Emmy Award-winning actress Sharon Stone. Last week, the “I Can’t Feel My Face” singer reposted a story from the Basic Instinct actress, who had recently offered her praise for the upcoming series.
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“I just watched the first two episodes of @theidol @lilyrose_depp & Abel (@theweeknd) r so sure footed,” Stone wrote. “#SamLevinson addresses the root of crisis in entertainment; Which comes first, the brilliance or the heartache?”
The Weeknd reposted the story with just one comment of his own: “Wow.”
In other related news, The Weeknd (real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye), recently opened up about experiencing an identity crisis while preparing for the role of Tedros.
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He revealed in an interview with W magazine earlier this month that he planned to shed his Weeknd persona and focus on being himself — according to him, it’s time to be just Abel.
“I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
The Toronto native seems to be serious about dropping his stage alias, and recently changed his username on Twitter to his government name.
