Canadian singing sensation, The Weeknd is set to produce, co-write, and star in an upcoming HBO series titled, The Idol. It centres on a female pop singer who builds a romantic relationship with a mysterious owner of a nightclub in Los Angeles. Little does she know that he has been keeping a major secret from her. This nightclub owner is discreetly the leader of a cult. Though The Weeknd’s role is still unknown, there are strong chances of him playing the cult leader. 
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfay, is an international pop singer with charts-breaking hits that have sold millions of albums globally. His latest track, Blinding Lights from After Hours, was the most listened to music in 2020. The track also retained its position in the top 5, for sales in the United States for 43 weeks. He is working with Sam Levinson to develop this cult and pop music-based series. Levinson is an expert in his field as a director who has earned worldwide recognition and awards for creating Euphoria, Malcolm & Mari, and Another Happy Day. It is not the first time that The Weeknd is working in a TV series. He had previously written and starred in an episode of American Dad!, and also appeared in Robot Chicken and Uncut Gems.
The Weeknd has always been enthusiastic about cinemas. That explains his featuring in the low-budget and critically-acclaimed Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler. His latest album, After Hours, which had released in 2020, also made references to films like After Hours and Chinatown.
The HBO series will be co-created by Levinson, Tesfaye and Reza Fahim. Reza is The Weeknd’s creative director who previously used to be a nightlife entrepreneur. Well-known writer Joseph Epstein will be co-writing the project and also taking on the role of showrunner.
Much hasn’t been revealed about the show yet. But we are hoping to hear more about it as the developments proceed.
