The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp shut down the Croisette to point out the value of fame — and loads of raunchy intrigue — on the Cannes premiere of “The Idol” on Monday.
Making direct parallels to celebrity meltdowns just like the one suffered by Britney Spears, the HBO Unique collection — which is the primary TV present to formally display at Cannes — lastly revealed itself at a packed gala screening.
Revenge porn images of bodily fluids on Depp’s face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning rip-off artists and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the primary two episodes of the already-controversial collection.
The brainchild of “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, the collection places poor Depp by way of her paces as a pop phenom coming off of a psychotic break after the demise of her mom. A pack of bloodsucking handlers (fabulously portrayed by Jane Adams, Hank Azaria and Eli Roth) are determined to get a brand new album and tour off the bottom. Whereas blowing off steam at a seedy Hollywood dance spot, she encounters Tesfaye as a proprietor and shoulder to grind on — who quickly reveals a lot bigger ambitions for her profession and his backside line. Tesfaye’s character, Tedros, is a modern-day cult chief. The supporting forged consists of Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott and extra.
Temporary respites from her fixed sexual and monetary exploitation come within the type of her bestie/assistant (Sennott) and advisor performed by Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph — however Depp’s character is a misplaced lamb, seeking to be seen as an artist and lady. Tesfaye’s Tedros is all too pleased to step in.
Much like Levinson’s “Euphoria,” the manufacturing of “The Idol” was met with experiences of on-set turmoil as a consequence of a poor working setting, last-minute script rewrites and budgetary points. Unique director Amy Seimetz exited the present in April 2022 with a number of episodes already shot as a consequence of a change in inventive route. Experiences on the time claimed that Tesfaye felt the collection was leaning an excessive amount of right into a “feminine perspective,” although the pop star has denied such claims.
In a press release despatched to Selection on the time, HBO pressured the “preliminary method on the present and manufacturing of the early episodes, sadly, didn’t meet HBO requirements so we selected to make a change.”
“All through the method, the inventive staff has been dedicated to making a protected, collaborative, and mutually respectful working setting, and final yr, the staff made inventive modifications they felt had been in the perfect curiosity of each the manufacturing and the forged and crew,” the community added, refuting claims the manufacturing was a poisonous work setting.
Defending Levinson in opposition to those self same accusations, Depp stated in a press release to Selection, “Sam is, for thus many causes, the perfect director I’ve ever labored with. By no means have I felt extra supported or revered in a inventive area, my enter and opinions extra valued. Working with Sam is a real collaboration in each approach — it issues to him, greater than something, not solely what his actors take into consideration the work, however how we really feel performing it. He hires individuals whose work he esteems and has all the time created an setting wherein I felt seen, heard, and appreciated.”
“The Idol” is ready to premiere June 4 on HBO.