Update, Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m.: The Idol has moved from idling to stalling in the middle of the street. According to Deadline, She Dies Tomorrow director Amy Seimetz is reportedly leaving the project, one day after HBO announced that the show is refining its “vision†for the series by “adjusting its cast and crew.†Seimetz, who originally going to direct every episode of the music industry series, had already finished working on the six episodes that are reportedly being canned in the creative overhaul. The network may have envisioned a show with more glitter and drama as Euphoria’s Sam Levinson will reportedly direct several episodes in place of Seimetz. The Idol co-creator, who directed most of Euphoria and the Netflix film Malcolm and Marie, also serves as a writer for the series alongside Joseph Epstein and Mary Laws. The update did not state who else will be leaving the series for its second round of production. Vulture has reached out to HBO for comment.
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The Weeknd might have to put in some more nine-to-fives because, according to HBO, his cult drama series The Idol is being reworked. “The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction,†HBO said in a statement to Vulture. “The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon.†Variety reported that production on the six-episode show — which the Weeknd co-created with his producing partner Reza Fahim and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson — was already finished when the show decided it wanted a do-over. Last we heard, The Idol is set in the music industry and followed “a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult.†Lily Rose-Depp and the Weeknd were set to star, presumably in the two lead roles. Suzanna Son, Steve Zissis, and Troye Sivan reportedly joined the cast as series regulars, while Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Melanie Liburd, Anne Heche, Nico Hiraga, and Tunde Adebimpe were said to have recurring roles. HBO did not comment on which cast members are now being taken out or replaced, so we’ll have to wait and see which of the cult members made the cut.