The Idol: Lily-Rose Depp Says She Steered Away From The Weeknd As He Stepped Into His Role As Tedros
Movies may be rife with superheroes and multi-million dollar franchises, but television has become an ideal haven for the most experimental and interesting stories. Among the biggest brands fighting for public attention, HBO is one of the most powerful, as exemplified by its achievements with Succession (98%) or Barry (80%).
This Sunday, the network will finally premiere The Idol (19%), a title that generated controversy among attendees and critics at Cannes and will likely continue to do so week after week on the channel. Although the cast has defended the project, Lily-Rose Depp has also publicly said that she distanced herself from The Weeknd when he became too involved in his role.
The Premise And Controversy Of The Series
Sam Levinson first drew attention with Murderous Nation (68%), but it was Euphoria (79%) that made him one of the most striking creators in recent years. His neon style, realistic stories full of sex, fury, and drugs, have received critical acclaim. For HBO, he’s one of its strongest cards and one that they allowed to develop The Idol alongside a famous singer.
The Idol tells the story of Jocelyn, a pop singer who seeks to reignite her career after overcoming a tough emotional crisis. She meets Tedros, a mysterious man who promises to open her mind to become a better artist and to find true power over herself. However, this strange man has his own intentions and is closer to a cult leader than a genuine ally, but that is not something Jocelyn can discover alone.
In theory, the series would be a great criticism of the American music system and its cruel treatment of pop stars, exploiting their personas to the breaking point. However, the show’s premise has been criticized for its apparent acceptance and promotion of male pornographic fantasies while exploiting the central figure.
Reactions and Controversy
The Idol didn’t win over critics who say it’s nothing more than a bunch of male pornographic fantasies, but fans of Levinson and The Weeknd are still hoping that the series will deliver on its promise of being a harsh criticism of the music industry, even if it is explicit and crude.
The experts have already spoken and disapproved of it. But, ultimately, its fate remains with the public. HBO knows that sex and controversy sell well; if it works to pass more than one season, then the attacks are welcome.
The Idol and Euphoria take place in the same universe, confirms showrunner Sam Levinson. Director Amy Seimetz was the one to put this message in the right place, but things changed radically along the way, leading to Levinson and The Weeknd reshooting almost everything. They changed the approach entirely, resulting in many complaints from people who allegedly worked on the set, stating that the show was basically pornography for the masses.
Lily-Rose Depp, star of The Idol, assured that the environment for filming had been ideal and safe. Still, she also added, “sometimes when Abel would get, I don’t want to give away too much about where Abel’s character is going, but sometimes when he was fully in Tedros mode, I would stay away from him. It was like: ‘He’s in the zone right now.'”
Despite its controversy, fans of the show and its creators hope The Idol will fulfill its promise.
