HBO has officially ordered The Weeknd’s drama series The Idol, Variety reported earlier today. It was also announced that Troye Sivan would be featured in the show.
The Weeknd will star in the six-episode series, which was first announced as being in development in June, as well as serving as the co-creator. Set against the backdrop of the music industry, the series centers on a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult, who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.
Along with The Weeknd it was previously announced that Lily-Rose Depp would star in the series. Amy Seimetz is also now onboard to direct all six episodes. Variety also learned that eight more actors have been added to the cast.
Suzanna Son, Melanie Liburd, Tunde Adebimpe, Steve Zissis, the aforementioned Troye Sivan, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Nico Hiraga, and Anne Heche have all been cast in the series. Son, Zissis, and Sivan will all appear in series regular roles while the other five are recurring.
The Weeknd will server as co-writer and executive producer along with Reza Fahim and Sam Levinson, with all three credited as creators of the show. Joe Epstein will also write and executive produce in addition to serving as showrunner. Seimetz will executive produce as well as direct. Levinson will executive produce via Little Lamb along with Ashley Levinson and Kevin Turen. Aaron L. Gilbert will executive produce via Bron Studios. Nick Hall and Sara E. White will executive produce along with A24.
“When the multi-talented Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye, Reza Fahim and Sam Levinson brought us The Idol, it was clear their subversive, revelatory take on the cult of the music industry was unlike anything HBO had ever done before,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming. “Shortly after, the brilliant duo of Joe Epstein and Amy Seimetz joined forces with the rest of the team, and this dream became a reality.”
Listen to the best of The Weeknd on Apple Music and Spotify.