Turning It Off. The Weeknd responded when Rolling Stone published a critical article alleging that his upcoming HBO program, The Idol, had descended into chaos.
The 33-year-old I Can’t Feel My Face singer posted a clip from The Idol on social media on March 1 in an apparent attempt to refute the magazine’s assertions. A prospective cover shoot for Rolling Stone is proposed to Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn in a scene starring Dan Levy. In her place, The Weeknd, who plays Tedros, a self-help guru/cult leader from the current era, calls the outlet useless and declines the offer.
On Instagram, Rolling Stone has 6 million followers, with probably half being fake accounts. And Jocelyn has 78 million followers, many of whom are probably real, says his persona. She takes pictures of them, tags them, and as a result, they become her followers. Nothing for Jocelyn, more money for Rolling Stone.
Tedros responds, “Not in Rolling Stone,” to Levy’s character’s assertion that there is a lot for Jocelyn.
Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, captioned the video for @rollingstone. Have we offended you?
The Idol, which according to the show’s official social media is billed as the sleaziest love tale in all of Hollywood, was ordered to a series in November 2021 and centered on Jocelyn (Depp), an aspiring pop idol whose nervous breakdown causes her to postpone her tour. The singer is followed as she attempts to regain her standing and negotiates a love connection with Tedros.
The Idol: How HBO’s Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn, a Rolling Stone story that was published earlier on Wednesday, including 13 interviews with people who work on the six-episode series. According to the expo, the show’s delay is the result of a toxic work climate and last-minute script revisions.
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Amy Seimetz abruptly resigned from her position as director in April 2022, after several episodes had already been shot.
She was replaced as director by Sam Levinson, who co-created the idea with The Weeknd.
The 38-year-old Euphoria creator’s takeover, according to Rolling Stone, weakened the overall meaning of the show, but Depp, 23, said in a statement to Variety that Levinson is the best director she has ever worked with.
I’ve never felt more accepted or supported in a creative environment, and my ideas and opinions have never been more valued, she said on Wednesday.
Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every sense of the word; he is more interested in our feelings as performers than anything else. He selects employees whose work he values, and he consistently fosters an atmosphere where I feel seen, heard, and valued.
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Later that day, HBO provided its own statement to Variety explaining the show’s delays and personnel changes.
We made a modification since the initial strategy for the program and the early episodes’ production, sadly, did not live up to HBO standards. The creative team has been dedicated to fostering a supportive, cooperative, and courteous working environment throughout the process. Last year, the team made creative modifications they believed were in the best interests of the production as well as the actors and crew.
