The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp closed the Croisette to show the price of fame – and plenty of raunchy intrigue – at the Cannes premiere of “The Idol” on Monday.
The HBO Original series draws direct parallels to the collapse of superstars, such as Britney Spears, eventually revealing itself at a packed gala screening.
Revenge porn shots of bodily fluids on Depp’s face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning con artists, and villainous Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already controversial series.
The brainchild of “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, the series puts poor Depp through the paces as a puppet phenom emerging from a psychotic hiatus following the death of her mother. A pair of bloodsucking handlers (played fantastically by Jane Adams, Hank Azaria and Eli Roth) are desperate to get a new album and tour off the ground. While blowing off steam at a seedy Hollywood dance spot, she meets Tesfaye as the owner and shoulder to rub on – who soon reveals much bigger ambitions for her career and his bottom line. Tesfaye’s character, Tedros, is a modern-day cult leader. The supporting cast includes Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott and more.
Brief respite from her constant sexual and financial exploitation comes in the form of her bestie/assistant (Sennott) and consultant played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph – but Depp’s character is a lost lamb, looking like an artist and woman. Tedros van Tesfaye is only too happy to step in.
As with Levinson’s “Euphoria,” the production of “The Idol” was met with reports of on-set turmoil due to a poor work environment, last-minute script rewrites, and budgetary problems. Original director Amy Seimetz left the show in April 2022 with several episodes already shot due to a change in creative direction. Reports at the time claimed that Tesfaye felt the series leaned too much towards a “female perspective,” though the pop star has denied such claims.
In a statement sent to Variety At the time, HBO emphasized that the “initial approach to the show and production of the early episodes unfortunately fell short of HBO standards, so we opted to make a change.”
“Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative and mutually respectful work environment, and last year the team made creative changes that they believed were in the best interests of both the production and the cast and crew . the network added, refuting claims that the production was a toxic work environment.
Depp defended Levinson against those same allegations, Depp said in a statement Variety, “Sam is the best director I’ve ever worked with for so many reasons. Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, more valued for my input and opinions. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every sense – it’s more important to him than anything, not just what his actors think of the work, but how we feel when we perform it. He hires people whose work he appreciates and has always created an environment where I felt seen, heard and valued.”
“The Idol” premieres on HBO on June 4.
