HBO
The last time we heard any rumblings about The Idol—creator Sam Levinson’s upcoming HBO show, plagued with misfortune since its announcement—the show’s star, The Weeknd, was firing back at a Rolling Stone exposé about the production’s turmoil.
The Idol co-stars Lily-Rose Depp as the titular, monolithic pop diva, Jocelyn, whose burgeoning career is taken to teetering new heights when The Weeknd’s character enters her orbit. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, plays an enigmatic but toxic producer/self-help guru named Tedros, who alienates Jocelyn from the rest of her team when he and the pop star get into a tumultuous relationship. Rolling Stone called the show “twisted torture porn,” detailing horrific, scripted scenes of sexual assault and domestic violence, which were reportedly later cut from the show’s final production.
After releasing more teaser trailers than any show or movie under the sun, The Idol has dropped its latest—and final—teaser, giving us a dramatic new look at what audiences were rallying against just a few weeks ago. And if you’re nostalgic for the chaos of 2007-era pop culture, hold onto your hat.