‘The Idol:’ Everything You Need To Know About The New HBO Series

Here’s a fun fact you might have missed during Euphoria Sundays last winter: The hit series’ Season 2, episode one broke the record for the most-watched digital premiere of any HBO episode ever, garnering a whopping 2.4 million viewers. (What you probably do recall? The HBO Max app crashing for the finale at 9:00 p.m. on the dot.) Needless to say, its director Sam Levinson knows a thing or two about creating binge-worthy television. And now, the respected filmmaker is blessing fans with another buzzy series: The Idol. The show stars Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye (who created the show alongside Levinson and Reza Fahim).

The world first learned about the upcoming series in June 2021, when The Weeknd shared a story from Variety on his Instagram feed. (Note: The post is currently sitting at almost 900k likes, so fans are clearly hyped.) According to Collider, principal photography for the new series took place around Los Angeles in November 2021; however, the production was temporarily paused due to The Weeknd co-headlining Coachella. But the wait is almost over, as the premiere is supposedly right around the corner.

If you’ve heard chatter surrounding the long-awaited show but aren’t quite up-to-date with the cast and plot, not to worry — TZR has you covered. Keep reading to get the low-down on everything we know about The Idol so far, then bookmark this post as it will be updated with more information as we get them.

The Idol Trailer

Unveiled Oct. 6, 2022, The Idol’s latest trailer paints a detailed picture — an incredibly seductive one, but then again, this is Sam Levinson’s work — of what viewers can expect from the series. Spoiler: Prepare for plenty of risqué dancing, steamy relationships, and over-the-top drama. Viewer discretion is most definitely advised when the show reportedly comes out on HBO in June 2023.

The Idol Plot

The Idol is a drama series about a young up-and-coming popstar (Depp) who gets into a roller-coaster relationship with an LA nightclub owner and leader of a secret cult (Tesfaye). Juicy! Moreover, the two are deep in the stereotypical music scene in Hollywood, which involves lots of partying, alcohol, and, well, you can probably guess the rest. The new show has even been dubbed “the sleaziest love story.” In other words, viewers are in for a wild ride.

The Idol Cast

Tesfaye secured the male lead role in The Idol alongside female co-star Depp, who will be making her television debut. The new series’ star-studded cast has a host of other familiar faces, too, including Talk Me Down singer Troye Sivan, Schitt’s Creek Dan Levy, and Shiva Baby’s Rachel Sennott.