If the series “The Idol” has been strongly criticized for its vulgarity and its “torture porn” atmosphere, the series with Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd was not originally supposed to look like this.
She was to be the sulphurous sensation of this beginning of summer, she was not the expected success. After a mixed preview at the Cannes Film Festival, The Idol series had a short but intense run on HBO in the United States and on Prime Video (with the Warner Pass) in France.
In five episodes, the series co-created by Sam Levinson (Euphoria), singer Abel Tesfaye alias The Weeknd and Reza Fahim recounts the return to the limelight of Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a pop star emerging from a phase depressed who takes her career back in hand thanks to her new lover Tedros (The Weeknd), a nightclub owner with a troubled past, who rekindles the flame in her.
From the first images unveiled, the series promised a sex, drugs and rock’n roll atmosphere. This is what the trio behind The Idol tried to do while looking at the harmful effects of the star system and the media pressure suffered by a popular singer, but also the toxicity of those around her.
Only, the disjointed subject – and completely reversed by an unexpected end – is mainly talked about for its tone considered vulgar and trashy, some spectators even speaking of “torture porn” with regard to the very explicit sex scenes.
What was the first version of The Idol supposed to look like?
Only here, the final result of the series was not supposed to look like this originally. While 80% of The Idol was in the box, the series was rewritten and reshot entirely following the departure of director Amy Seimetz over creative disagreements.
It is a survey of RollingStone which revealed the chaotic behind-the-scenes production of The Idol, which quickly turned into a sultry and problematic adult drama. Since the end of the series, photos of the first shoot under the direction of Amy Seimetz have been unveiled and we can say that the atmosphere was very different.
If the footage above looks very teenage, that’s to be expected as Amy Seimetz’ version contained flashbacks to Jocelyn’s life as a young popstar and her career as a child star on a teen sitcom. These visuals seem very inspired by the lives of singers from the Disney Channel stable like Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus, who exploded with Hannah Montana.
Other behind-the-scenes photos from the first shoot were revealed by the parents of young actress Arabella Grant (The Flight Attendant, To Leslie) on her Instagram account.
And the message and the pictures tell a little more about the plot. The girl played Cami, who was surely to be one of the other child stars alongside Jocelyn in the fictional series “Girls who rock” :
“Last year, Arabella landed an incredible recurring role on a new HBO series! She was thrilled and had a blast filming the first season. Unfortunately, after filming, the series underwent some major changes, rewrites and reshoots, and her entire (incredible and talented) TV family is not in the new iteration of the show that’s currently airing. Her character Cami was a gem!”
Even the photos of Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd on the first shoot suggest a totally different plot with a more present female gaze. After Amy Seimetz left, it was Sam Levinson and The Weeknd who took over The Idol and made it a darker, trashier story without flashbacks to Jocelyn’s life.
Looking closer, netizens have speculated that Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd was inspired by his private life to make The Idol a more personal story that would be based on his relationship with singer and comedian Selena. Gomez, also a former Disney shoot.
Fans have pointed out similarities between Selena Gomez and Jocelyn’s life, such as their best friends/assistants, their tour being canceled due to mental health, a photo shoot with a hospital bracelet, and more. .
Nothing allows us to say with certainty that The Weeknd has indeed based the new version of The Idol on his former companion, but it is clear that it has nothing to do with the first rushes of Amy Seimetz, which many of fans would have liked to see finally.
The Idol series is available on Prime Video with the Warner Pass.