The series, titled “Idol,” will focus on a female pop singer who “begins an affair with a mysterious Los Angeles club owner who is the leader of a secret cult.”
The Weeknd is developing a series for HBO in which he will co-write the script and star, Variety reports.
Working with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) will co-write the script and executive produce a series called Idol.
Joseph Epstein will serve as showrunner and writer, and Sam Levinson, Tesfaye, Faheem, Epstein, Ashley Levinson, Kevin Touraine, Aaron Gilbert of Bron Studios will serve as executive producers.
Plot-wise, “Idol” is about a female pop singer who “begins an affair with a mysterious Los Angeles club owner who is the leader of a secret cult.”
As Variety notes, The Weeknd has written for television before: in 2020, he wrote the script and starred in the animated comedy “American Dad.” He also played himself in Uncut Gems opposite Adam Sandler.
About the “Blinding Lights” singer’s interest in Hollywood and film, Roisin O’Connor of The Independent wrote earlier this year, “A self-confessed film buff, he inserts numerous movie references in his music as well as in accompanying videos. This was most evident in his (still ongoing) campaign for After Hours, in which he plays the role of a bloodied and bruised character ‘going through a really bad night.
“The story was presented in chronological order with the release of each single, starting with “Heartless” and ending with “Too Late.” There are nods to ‘Chinatown’ (with its broken nose); the psychological thriller ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ during the subway scene; Martin Scorsese’s ‘King of Comedy’ during his appearance as Jimmy Kimmel; ‘Obsession’; the ‘Dressed to Kill’ moment in the elevator; and, most obviously, the 1985 Scorsese film ‘After Hours,’ from which Tesfaye’s album gets its name.”
The Weeknd hit the headlines earlier this year when he said he would no longer be submitting music for the Grammy Awards after his After Hours album was eliminated from that year’s nominations.
“Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the recent Grammy recognition for corruption will hopefully be a positive step for the future of this tormented award and give the artist community the respect it deserves through a transparent voting process,” he said in a May 3 statement to The New York Times.
