The Weeknd is developing an HBO series, which he will also co-write and star in, according to Variety.
Working with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) will serve as co-writer and executive producer of the show, titled The Idol.
Joseph Epstein will serve as showrunner and writer, and Sam Levinson, Tesfaye, Fahim, Epstein, Ashley Levinson, Kevin Turen, Bron Studios’ Aaron L Gilbert are set to executive produce.
Plot-wise, The Idol focuses on a female pop singer who “starts a romance with an enigmatic LA club owner who is the leader of a secret cult”.
As Variety points out, The Weeknd has written for TV before, writing for and starring in animated comedy American Dad in 2020. He also played himself in Uncut Gems opposite Adam Sandler.
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Of the “Blinding Lights” singer’s interest in Hollywood and cinema, The Independent’s Roisin O’Connor wrote earlier this year: “A self-confessed film geek, he inserts multiple movie references into his music as well as in the accompanying videos. This was most evident in his (still ongoing) campaign for After Hours, in which he stars as a bloodied and bruised character ‘having a really bad night’.
“The story was unveiled in chronological order with each single release, beginning with ‘Heartless’ and continuing through to ‘Too Late’. There are nods to Chinatown (with his broken nose); psychological thriller Jacob's Ladder during a subway scene; Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy during his in-character Jimmy Kimmel appearance; Possession; a Dressed to Kill moment in an elevator; and, most obviously, Scorsese’s 1985 film After Hours, from which Tesfaye’s album takes its name.”
The Weeknd made headlines earlier this year when he said he would no longer submit any music for Grammy consideration when After Hours was snubbed from this year’s nominations.
“Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process,” he said in a May 3 statement to The New York Times.
