A new trailer for The Idol arrives and announces a premiere date for the show. From the creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson, and The Weeknd, the new HBO series follows Lily-Rose Depp as an aspiring pop idol who, after having a nervous breakdown on tour, enters a complicated relationship with a self-help guru and contemporary cult leader (played by The Weeknd) to become the “greatest and sexiest pop star in America.” Last month, the show was the subject of a scathing report that described The Idol‘s troubled production as “twisted torture porn” that has “gone wildly, disgustingly off the rails.”
Now, shortly after the show became the center of controversy, HBO has unveiled a highly erotic trailer for The Idol.
The fourth official teaser for The Idol, which can be watched above, asks the question, “When was the last nasty, bad pop-girl?” before Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” begins playing as Depp’s Jocelyn and The Weeknd’s Tedros embark on an escapade of debauchery. The Idol trailer also announces a June 4 premiere date for the series following its premiere at Cannes next month.
Everything Revealed By The Idol Trailer
In addition to being a self-help guru and contemporary cult leader, The Idol trailer reveals that Tedros is a nightclub impresario with a disreputable past who manipulates the megalomanic pop star into an increasingly scandalous affair. The Idol trailer ponders the question of whether Jocelyn’s romantic awakening will elevate her pop career to glorious new heights, or plunge her deeper down into the darkest depths of her soul. With Depp and The Weeknd leading the cast, The Idol trailer also highlights supporting characters played by Troye Sivan, Moses Sunmeny, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennot, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
The Idol report described it as a “shitshow” behind-the-scenes amid numerous script rewrites and production delays. Some of that controversy was centered on swapping out director Amy Seimetz for Levinson, who reportedly shifted the story away from a female perspective and into a more disturbing “rape fantasy” direction as Jocelyn embraces the abusive Tedros in order to advance her musical career. HBO and The Idol cast have responded to the report and dispelled notions of a troubled production. Right now, The Idol is positioned perfectly to hold fans over until Euphoria season 3, which starts filming in June.
