New trailer for The Weeknd’s HBO series The Idol teases sex, drugs and debauchery

Canadian singer The Weeknd will be starring in a new TV series alongside Lily-Rose Depp, according to a new trailer.

The Idol, which is being produced by HBO and The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), is a dramatic series that promises lots of action, plenty of flashy parties and a healthy dose of sinister motives.

According to the show’s synopsis, The Idol will follow “a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol.”

As far as the trailer goes, Tesfaye looks to be playing the modern-day cult leader, with Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and French pop star Vanessa Paradis, will be the idol.

The trailer itself doesn’t show us much. Opening with a promise that it comes straight from the “sick and twisted” minds of its creators – The Weeknd and Sam Levinson, as well as Reza Fahim – it teases “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood”.

After that, we see a woman, seemingly directing some sort of video.

As she calls out instructions, viewers are treated to a montage of fast cars, sex and drugs, as well as clips of both Tesfaye’s and Depp’s characters.

For the show, think strip clubs, pants dropping (several times) and champagne being sprayed about like several Formula 1 races in one.

“More, more, more, orgy!” the woman yells as the trailer reaches its conclusion, where Depp faces off against an obscured person, most likely Tesfaye’s character.

“Do you trust me?” they ask.

“Not really,” she replies.

Sam Levinson, who is also working on the show, is best-known for creating the super-hit teen show Euphoria.

Focusing on the lives of a group of high school teens, Euphoria has gained praise for its frank depiction of sex, drugs, coercion and abuse – especially regarding relapsed addict Rue, played by Zendaya.

The Idol was announced in June 2021, although production was halted after director Amy Seimetz quit in April 2022. After her departure, it was rumoured that the show’s episodes would be altered to go in a new creative direction.

However, the show itself looks to be gathering plenty of hype: Francesca Orsi, the executive vice president of HBO Programming, has said that it is a “subversive, revelatory take on the cult of the music industry” that is “unlike anything HBO had ever done before.”

There is no premiere date yet set for The Idol – the trailer simply says it’s “coming soon” – but it looks set to be a wild ride.