Controversial HBO Show ‘The Idol’ Sets Premiere Date With New Trailer

Is The Idol a bold deconstruction of pop music and the world of celebrity? Or is it an off-the-rails mess comparable to “torture porn”? Viewers will soon get to decide for themselves.

A new teaser for the long-awaited show about an up-and-coming pop star reveals that The Idol will premiere in June on HBO. The show stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny) and was created by Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson. The series has garnered headlines almost from the start. Last year, the show’s original director, Amy Seimetz, left the project while it was still in production. And a recent article in Rolling Stone claimed that after Seimetz left the series amidst creative differences with others on The Idol team, almost the entire show went “wildly, disgustingly off the rails” and had to be rewritten and reshot at the costs of tens of millions of dollars. (HBO responded to Rolling Stone’s report with a statement that claimed that “the initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change.”)

Whatever the reality of the behind-the-scenes drama, the show is finally done. The Idol’s new trailer certainly doesn’t seem to want to avoid the controversy and definitely suggests it’s a pretty explicit show. Take a look:

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Here is the series’ official synopsis:

After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?

The Idol debuts on HBO and Max (just Max, remember) on June 4. The show will make its world premiere out of competition at next month’s Cannes Film Festival.