HBO’s “The Idol”, was heavily criticized as a “sordid male fantasy” filled with explicit scenes, is defended by its cast members.
“The Idol”, which features Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), premiered for the first time at the Cannes Films Festival. The series is produced by “Euphoria” director Sam Levionso, alongside The Weeknd and Reza Fahim, and revolves around Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a pop star who is trying to bounce back after a mental break and her relationship with Tedros (The Weeknd), self-hope guru and leader of a modern-day cult.
From the beginning, after a teaser of “The Idol” was released, critics have heavily slammed the series, calling Levinson and Tesfaye “sick and twisted minds” behind “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood”.
In fact, US media outlet Rolling Stone even published a scathing review, accusing The Idol of going wildly off the rails after a change in cast and the departure of the initial director, Amy Seimetz.
On the other hand, The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp, and Sam Levinson are deeply in love with their work. In an interview recently published by The New York Times and conducted at Cannes last month, the trio defended “The Idol” and urged people to watch it with an open mind. At the same time, they emphasized that “The Idol” was never intended to be a family-friendly project.
In particular, Lily-Rose Depp, star of “The Idol” and daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, said, “We always knew that we were going to make something that was going to be provocative and perhaps not for everyone. That was a draw for all of us. I don’t think any of us were interested in making anything that was going to be, you know, fun for the whole family.”
Meanwhile, The Weeknd agreed with that sentiment, saying, “When I first started making music, it was the exact same thing. It was provocative, and I knew it was going to be tough for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it”, adding, “I feel that this is kind of like that again. This is not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. We are not politicians.”
In the same interview, The Weeknd also emphasized that the audience just needs to watch the entire show.
Source: The New York Times
