UPDATED 4/26, 3:40 p.m. ET: Director Amy Seimetz has exited The Idol, Deadline reports. Sam Levinson is now expected to take on at least partial directing duties for the show.
See original story below.
Variety has learnedThe Weeknd’s HBO series The Idol will undergo an overhaul due to the decision to head in a “new creative direction.”
“The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction,” HBO said in a statement, perVariety. “The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon.”
It’s unclear if this course change could result in cast and crew members leaving the production, as nothing concrete has been disclosed as of yet.
News of The Idol was first announced last June when it was reported that HBO was developing a show in which The Weeknd would serve as co-writer and executive producer, along with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. The After Hours artist was also said to be starring the show. Joe Epstein was tapped as the showrunner, with executive producer Amy Seimetz [Atlanta, The Girlfriend Experience] expected to direct all six episodes.
In November, HBO orderedThe Idol to series. The show, which centers around “a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult,” stars Troye Sivan, Lily-Rose Depp, Suzanna Son, Anne Heche, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren (Saved by the Bell), Nico Hiraga (Booksmart), and Melanie Liburd (Power Book II: Ghost).
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year, The Weeknd discussed what turned out to be “quite a summer” as he worked simultaneously on finishing his fifth studio album Dawn FM while also collaborating in the writer’s room on The Idol.
“Yeah, I’m finishing the new album right now,” the artist told THR. “It should be done by the end of this month and we’re just kind of figuring out when to put it out. It’s been really cool because I’m working on this album this summer simultaneously with the writer’s room for the new TV show. So, I’ve been kind of going back and forth from finishing the album and pending up the show that we’re going to start shooting soon. It’s been quite a summer.”
