The Weeknd to Develop and Star in HBO Series ‘The Idol’

The Weeknd is developing a new HBO series alongside Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. The singer, also known as Abel Tesfaye, will star in, co-write and executive produce the show, according to Deadline.

The series will follow a female pop singer who starts a romance with “an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult.” Levinson and the Weeknd have co-created the series alongside Reza Fahim, the Weeknd’s producing partner. Joseph Epstein will serve as co-writer and showrunner on the project.

The Weeknd previously appeared in 2019’s Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, and also voiced characters on episodes of American Dad and Robot Chicken, two of his favorite animated TV series. Last year, he spoke to Rolling Stone about his interest in writing for film, noting he had a secretive screenplay in the works.

“This is my first time even opening up to anything, because I had to spend the last decade invested in this project, the Weeknd,” he said. “It really does consume me, so I’ve learned to step away from it a little bit, to miss it a little bit.”

“I just want to be a filmmaker,” the singer added. “I want to make great cinema.”

The Weeknd’s most recent album, After Hours, dropped last March. He recently performed his single “Save Your Tears” at several awards shows, including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, where he was joined by Ariana Grande. He also makes an appearance on Doja Cat’s third studio album, Planet Her.