The series
The Idol
is not yet on our screens, it is already much talked about.
Lily-Rose Depp
plays a pop singer who begins a romance with the enigmatic owner of a Los Angeles club, played by singer
The Weeknd
.
HBO hoped to air the show last fall, to fill the slot vacated by
House of the Dragon
, according to a survey released by
Rolling Stone
.
But as of March 2023, still no
The Idol
.
The production has
“no idea when the series will air”
or even
“what the final version will look like”
.
The filming would have been
“chaotic”
.
First, the director Amy Seimetz, present since the genesis of the project, was thanked along the way.
She was replaced by Sam Levinson, who would have rewritten part of the screenplay, forcing the production to return episodes entirely, despite an investment, estimated between 54 and 75 million dollars, already spent by the HBO channel.
Read alsoLily-Rose Depp more erotic than ever in the new trailer for The Idol
Also according to the American media, violent scenes were added for the character of Lily-Rose Depp after this transfer window.
From a satire with
“a feminist point of view”
,
The Idol
would have become, according to some members of the team,
“a degrading love story with a hollow, even offensive message”
going as far as
“apology for rape”
.
Another source claims that
"The Weeknd wanted a show all about him"
and that it was
"in agreement"
with director Sam Levinson.
Lily-Rose Depp The Weeknd to the rescue of their director
Faced with these accusations, the young actress and her on-screen partner stepped up, each in their own way.
Lily-Rose Depp said that Sam Levison “
is, for many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with.
I have never felt more supported or respected in a creative space, and my input and opinions have never been more valued
.”
The singer meanwhile went into the field of provocation.
Indeed, on March 1, 2023, he shared on his social networks an extract from
The Idol
in which his character declares
“Everyone gives a damn about Rolling Stone”
accompanied by the message:
“Were you upset
?
".
The editor of the magazine Noah Shachtman then replied
“No, not at all”
by sharing in turn two Rolling Stones front pages where the singer poses.
The HBO channel also took the floor to defend its series.
"
The initial approach to the series and the production of the first episodes unfortunately did not meet HBO standards and we therefore chose to make changes,
" the channel said in a statement, to justify the dismissal of Amy Seimetz.
She assures that the work environment was
“safe, collaborative and respectful”
.