Sam Levinson’s “The Idol” is coming to HBO this June. The controversial series follows the life of a pop star Jocelyn and her relationship with a club owner and cult leader Tedros. The series suddenly became an online sensation when HBO officially announced the series. However, it is also getting a lot of backlash from people as it follows the same themes as Euphoria.
Lilly Rose Depp and the Canadian singer The Weeknd will play the lead roles. Also, Jennie Kim from Blackpink is also playing the role of a backup dancer. The first two episodes of the series were released at the Cannes film festival 2023. The Idol got mixed reviews from the audience.
Also, according to a source, “The Idol” has undergone production changes as the “Blinding Lights” singer had issues with the direction of the show. According to the singer, the series was leaning into a “female perspective” and focused more on Depp’s character than his. Amy Seimetz, who was directing the show at the beginning left after the singer expressed his dissatisfaction with the direction of the series. Seimetz is known for co-creating The Girlfriend Experience and starring in Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things. The Rolling Stones has called the series Torture porn. HBO gave complete control of the show to Levinson who added more nudity and explicit themes to the show.
According to one production member:
“What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century. The things that we subject our talent and stars to, the forces that put people in the spotlight, and how that can be manipulated in the post-Trump world. It went from satire to the thing it was satirizing.”
Barbie Ferreira who played “Kat” on Euphoria left after her arguments with Levinson as the actress complained about her character’s storyline. Sam Levinson is often criticized for sexualizing teenagers on Euphoria.
Which role does Alexa Demie play in The Idol?
It is not specified which role Maddie from Euphoria is playing in the series. However, she was seen in the same club as Jocelyn where she meets the club owner Tedros for the first time. It is not confirmed if she will appear in more episodes.
According to Levinson, Euphoria takes place in the same universe as The Idol. So, there is a possibility the actress might appear in more episodes or we might see more of the character from the Euphoria. Teenagers in Euphoria are seen clubbing and doing drugs, so it would be completely normal for them.
Also, Maddy is more sophisticated as compared to the other characters, so it makes perfect sense if she is seen in The Idol Universe. Also, Maddy’s character also mentioned leaving town after graduation.
According to HBO, the third season of Euphoria will release in 2025. There is going to be a three-year gap and a possible time jump. It is hard to say what will happen to the characters.
Release Date
The idol will release on June 4. HBO has only ordered only 8 episodes of the series yet. If the show performs as good as Euphoria then there will be more episodes.
Cast
The series has a lot of big and famous names attached. Troye Sivan and Dan Levy are also part of the series. Sivan is playing Jocelyn’s best friend and Lewis will be seen as her manager.
