The Idol, HBO’s controversial drama starring Abel “the Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp, is ending one week sooner than initially deliberate, Yahoo Leisure has confirmed. The community hasn’t commented, however a supply near the state of affairs explains that after Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson “took over and made important modifications,” the story solely required 5 episodes. HBO initially picked up the present, co-created by Tesfaye and Levinson, as a six-episode sequence.
One group pleased concerning the shortened season is the Mother and father Tv and Media Council. In an announcement on Monday, the group known as on HBO to cancel the present fully “given this system’s excessive content material — nudity, sexual abuse, torture — that may be dangerous to younger viewers.”
The Idol has been marred by drama, each on- and off-screen.
Studies of bother first surfaced in April 2022 when Deadline reported the practically accomplished present was set to bear a inventive overhaul. Unique director Amy Seimetz was a type of who exited. One supply claimed Tesfaye was sad that the sequence was leaning an excessive amount of right into a feminine perspective, one thing he he later denied. Levinson in the end took over as director and even moved into the “Starboy” singer’s mansion.
In March, Rolling Stone revealed an exposé labeling Levinson’s model as sexual “torture porn.” A dozen members of the solid and crew participated within the report and known as the rebooted set a “s***present” and claimed the content material was disturbing. When The Idol premiered in Cannes nearly three months later, critics largely agreed.
After the second episode aired, British GQ declared The Idol “simply gave us the worst intercourse scene in historical past.” Esquire known as Sunday’s torture scene “a brand new low” and The Each day Beast proclaimed the episode “the worst one but.” Audiences appear to agree on one factor: a few of the scenes with Depp begin out promising, however when Tesfaye enters, issues get very cringey. Nevertheless, the celebrity has maintained in varied interviews amid the criticism that is all on goal. (“That is simply make-believe,” he instructed Selection. “It is make-believe!”)
Though Web page Six reported The Idol wouldn’t be renewed for a second season, HBO denied that in a uncommon, public assertion.
“It’s being misreported {that a} choice on a second season of The Idol has been decided. It has not, and we look ahead to sharing the following episode with you Sunday evening,” a tweet learn final week.
The ultimate episode of The Idol airs on Sunday, July 2 on HBO and Max.
