The Weeknd's After Hours era truly elevated him from an R&B standout with pop hits, to a chart-dominating household name. Along with boosting his music career, the benefits from this popularity came in other avenues as well, particularly film and television.
After having guest-starred in Adam Sandler's Oscar-snubbed Uncut Gems and receiving an Emmy nomination for his 2021 Super Bowl halftime performance, it seems that Abel's on-screen appetite only grew.
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Since the summer, he has been producing a show titled "The Idol," along with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. He will star in the show that takes place in Hollywood and examines the relationship between a rising pop star and a cult leader.
On Monday (Nov. 22) HBO picked up the show for a first season, ordering six episodes. While the release date has not been revealed, the cast and crew seem to be in place.
Aiding The Weeknd and Levinson in production will be Abel's production partner Reza Fahim, Joe Epstein and Amy Seimetz, who worked on a few episodes of Donald Glover's Atlanta.
HBO's Executive Vice President of Programming Francesca Orsi spoke on the TV network's decision to back the show: "When the multitalented 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. 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."
Among a supporting cast that includes Suzanna Son, Melanie Liburd, Tunde Adebimpe, Steve Zissis, Troye Sivan, Lily-Rose Depp will be The Weeknd's co-star in the series. Along with being the daughter of Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose has starred in Timothee Chalamet's 2019 movie The King and upcoming Christmas comedy Silent Night with Kiera Knightley.
The Weeknd is making big moves, so make sure you have your HBO subscription to tune in to his upcoming television debut.
[Via]