The Idol has released it’s final trailer as the controversial series prepares to debut on HBO.
The sneak peek teases more scenes of debauchery and the bizarre relationship between club owner/cult leader Tedros (played by The Weeknd) and Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a pop star who is attempting to reclaim her career after suffering a nervous breakdown.
But, as Tedros grows closer to Jocelyn, friends grow concerned over just how much influence he has over her.
While one pal accuses him of ‘brainwashing’ Jocelyn, another asks ‘What does that mean he’s taken over the house?’
‘He’s brainwashed her,’ a woman is heard saying.
More scenes of debauchery! The Idol has released it’s final trailer as the controversial series prepares to debut on HBO
Unusual connection: The trailer teases the bizarre relationship between Tedros (played by The Weeknd) and pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), who is attempting to reclaim her career after suffering a nervous breakdown
The trailer begins with scenes of Jocelyn and her glamorous lifestyle, from meeting crowds of adoring fans to pulling up in front of a palatial mansion.
In a voice-over, The Weeknd says: ‘You’re the American dream. Rags to riches. Trailers to mansions. You are f**king Jocelyn.’
‘Just be you,’ he advises her. ‘Easy! I’ll just do that,’ she replies.
Meanwhile, Jocelyn is attempting to prove herself again after suffering a career setback.
While standing outside of set, she is warned by one colleague: ‘I’m telling you right now, these people in here are gauging whether or not you still got it.’
As Jocelyn hits the stage, doing a raunchy dance routine with male strippers, music executives sit on the sidelines and critique the sexy display in a detached tone.
‘I just wonder about the strippers,’ one woman sternly remarks.
‘They’re kind of out femme-ing her with the flips and the dips,’ her colleague replies.
‘He’s brainwashed her’: But, as Tedros grows closer to Jocelyn, friends grow concerned over just how much influence he has over her
Lifestyles of the rich and famous: The trailer begins with scenes of Jocelyn and her glamorous lifestyle, from meeting crowds of adoring fans to pulling up in front of a palatial mansion
The VIP treatment! She is seen trying out fancy clothing in front of Tedros
Step it up: While standing outside of set, she is warned by one colleague: ‘I’m telling you right now, these people in here are gauging whether or not you still got it’
As Jocelyn deals with the pressures of her career, she leans on Tedros.
‘You’re too distracted,’ he tells her gently as he lays on top of her. ‘We need to block out all the noise.’
While in the recording booth, Tedros wraps an orange scarf around her head.
His presence raises eyebrows as one of Jocelyn’s colleagues asks flatly, ‘I’m sorry, who are you?’
‘They’re kind of out femme-ing her with the flips and the dips’: Music executives are then seen assessing a raunchy dance routine she shares with male strippers
Under scrutiny: Jocelyn attempts to show she’s still a force to reckon with
‘We need to block out all the noise’: Tedros informs Jocelyn as he wraps a scarf around her head
‘Now sing’: Tedros, standing right next to Jocelyn, whispers into her ear
‘Now sing,’ Tedros, standing right next to Jocelyn, whispers into her ear.
Outside of the studio, the duo grow increasingly close as they bond over their partying ways.
‘I think I just fell in love with you,’ Jocelyn tells Tedros as she straddles him.
Then, Jocelyn is seen performing a very sexy routine in a racy look as she slaps her backside and dramatically throws her head back.
Afterwards, as one man is seen cleaning a gun on the balcony, a suited-up individual asks outside on the phone in an agitated tone, ‘What does that mean, he’s taken over the house?’
‘He’s brainwashed her,’ another woman is heard saying as a tired-looking Jocelyn is seen taking a shower with Tedros.
Raising eyebrows: A man at the recording studio asks Tedros, ‘Who are you?’
‘He’s brainwashed her’: Another woman is heard saying as a tired-looking Jocelyn is seen taking a shower with Tedros
Crowd pleaser! Jocelyn practices a dance routine
‘You’re not a human being,’ Tedros tells Jocelyn. ‘You’re a star.’
When the show’s official teaser was dropped last year, it was billed as being from the ‘sick and twisted minds’ of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and The Weeknd.
That tagline did not disappoint, with the show being panned by critics for its sexual content.
Lily-Rose stars as pop star Jocelyn, who is trying to make a comeback after suffering a nervous breakdown after the death of her mother.
The dark side: The new trailer teases plenty of party scenes
Armed: A man is seen cleaning a gun on the balcony
What!? A suited-up individual asks outside on the phone in an agitated tone, ‘What does that mean, he’s taken over the house?’
The Weeknd is a club owner and cult leader who gets entangled with the singer and her career.
Director and co-creator Sam Levinson addressed that a news conference in Cannes.
‘We live in a very sexualize world,’ he said, ‘especially in the states, and I think the influence of pornography is really strong in terms of the psyche of, I think, young people in the states.
‘We see this in pop music and how it sort of reflects the underbelly of the internet.’
‘I think it’s very true to what almost every pop star doing these days.’
Lily-Rose said she was involved in creating all the aspects of her character Joselyn, including the amount of nudity on the screen.
Influence: ‘You’re not a human being,’ Tedros tells Jocelyn. ‘You’re a star’
Taking it in: Jocelyn cries as she listens to Tedros call her a star
Slammed: The show has been taken to task for what many critics see as gratuitous nudity
‘I think the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her and that’s something I felt was really important to the character.’
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress said she was inspired by Sharon Stone, along with screen sirens Lauren Bacall and Gene Tierney.
The Weekend, 33, whose legal name is Abel Tesfaye, wanted to tackle his home turf.
‘I initially wanted to make a dark, twisted fairy tale with the music industry and everything I know about it, and heighten it,’ he explained.
The Blinding Lights artist collaborated with the show creators.
Hype: When the show’s official teaser was dropped last year, it was billed as being from the ‘sick and twisted minds’ of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and The Weeknd
Coming soon: The HBO series will premiere on June 4
‘We really wanted to focus on “can we create our own pop star? Can we create somebody who is trying to find themselves?”‘
He said he used his own experiences along with those of Sam and Lily ‘to create something special, daring, exciting, fun… made people laugh, pissed some people off.’
Some of those ‘pissed off’ people include 13 members of the crew who told Rolling Stone the tone of the show changed after director Amy Seimetz left the project.
‘It was like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better,’ one crew member told the outlet.
Another agreed, saying, ‘It was like, “What is this? What am I reading here?” It was like sexual torture porn.’
The HBO series will premiere on June 4.
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