THE IDOL © DR
Glory and manipulation in the highly anticipated series The Idol
It isn’t uncommon for the Festival to host the premiere of a series that is highly anticipated by the public. One year after Irma Vep by Olivier Assayas, we introduce The Idol from the highly acclaimed Sam Levinson, presented Out of Competition.
The revenge of a pop star. After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to become number one again in the hearts of Americans. Her entire crew is working relentlessly to create the sexiest, most stunning show. But what really rekindles the spark in her is Tedros, a nightclub impresario who appears to make the singer his puppet.
The Idol promises to be a truly sultry pop series akin to Euphoria, also created by Sam Levinson, which was one of the most-watched series these past few years. Levinson has already aroused our curiosity with the cast: Lily Rose Depp, who starred in La Danseuse (The Dancer) by Stéphanie Di Giusto, in Un Certain Regard in 2016, and Abel Desfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd.
When the Selection was announced, Thierry Frémaux commented on him by saying, “He is a particularly great director, and he’s been coming to see films at Cannes incognito for the past two years now.” As another anecdote, Abel Desfaye, who also produced the series, pitched it to Sam Levinson in these terms: “I wanted to start a cult; I could afford it.” This suggests that The Idol, beyond the trials and tribulations of the pop star, will feature a subtle game of manipulation. The series, produced by HBO, will be available starting this 4 June.
