Fallen ‘Idol’: HBO confirms controversial show won’t return for Season 2
“The Idol” has fallen.
Lily-Rose Depp’s highly controversial HBO Max show won’t be back for a second season, Page Six can reveal.
An HBO spokesperson told us: “’The Idol’ was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response.
“After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast, and crew for their incredible work.”
The salacious drama, co-created by Depp’s co-star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Sam Levinson of “Euphoria” fame, became infamous for its wild sex scenes and nudity.
It was also hit by a Rolling Stone report in which production sources described a chaotic filming environment, and accused the show of glorifying “torture porn” and “rape fantasy.”
Depp, 24, co-starred as a troubled pop star who ends up in the clutches of a cult leader played by Tesfaye, 33.
In June, sources told Page Six a second season was not being planned, as one insider told us: “This was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always … a limited series.”
That same month, an eyewitness described how Levinson, 38, laughed as he demanded the “Save Your Tears” crooner and up-and-coming actress to film an “extremely disturbing” rape scene.
An HBO Max source told us Monday that “boundary-pushing content is what audiences look for in HBO original programming, and ‘The Idol’ certainly delivered on that front. [It] was one of the most talked-about shows of the summer and cemented itself in the zeitgeist.”
The door was left open for a second season, the source said, adding that the decision not to bring the show back was made only recently.
The show also hit the headlines when it was cut from six to five episodes following the departure of director Amy Seimetz.
Levinson took over directorial duties amid reports he was axing the feminist tone of the series, which launched amid fanfare at Cannes Film Festival in May.
One show source previously told Page Six that working with Tesfaye in character as Tedros was “not an ideal experience … and not one I am eager to repeat,” while another called him “egomaniacal.”
Depp, meanwhile, has admitted there were times when she would “steer clear” of Tesfaye when he was in “his zone.”
Still, she insisted, “I love Abel so much. He was able to melt into this role in a way that is really difficult for anybody to do.”
