The Idol: A24 and HBO Deliver Another Potential Hit

Suddenly, it appears that A24’s content is ubiquitous, with numerous projects emerging all at once. The independent entertainment company, which won this year’s Best Picture award, is also responsible for the third most popular Netflix series globally (Beef). Furthermore, the company has a new romantic drama titled Past Lives scheduled to debut next month, which appears to be outstanding. A24 is also the driving force behind buzzy HBO content like Euphoria and The Idol (created by Sam Levinson, who also created Euphoria).

HBO recently unveiled a new teaser for The Idol, set to premiere on June 4th. In the teaser, Lily-Rose Depp portrays Jocelyn, a fame-hungry wannabe popstar who appears to be the answer to a character’s inquiry regarding the last time the music industry featured a truly “f**king nasty” pop girl. Meanwhile, The Weeknd portrays Tedros, a sex-crazed cult leader, and Jocelyn’s proximity to him propels her career and profile to new heights.

Regardless of the reception that A24’s highly anticipated new drama receives from critics, one thing is certain: The Idol is likely to extend HBO’s successful run of launching new and buzz-worthy dramas that generate attention and interest online. The show’s impressive ensemble cast, which includes Dan Levy, Eli Roth, and Blackpink’s Jennie, as well as its connection to Euphoria’s Levinson, ensures that it will be talked about. However, recent coverage in Rolling Stone has suggested that the show has already gone “wildly, disgustingly off the rails.”

A24, the company behind The Idol, is having an impressive run lately, with Everything, Everywhere, All At Once winning seven of its eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director at this year’s Oscars. Beef, another A24 production, has also been a major hit on Netflix, receiving critical acclaim as one of the streamer’s best TV releases of the year thus far. The 10-episode drama currently ranks as the #2 Netflix series in the US and #3 in the world, having garnered more than 34 million hours viewed in its first week, according to Netflix’s latest weekly global Top 10 chart.

Aside from The Idol, A24 has several other exciting projects in the works, including the upcoming movie Past Lives, directed by Celine Song. I’m especially looking forward to this one, as it already feels like it will be my favorite new movie of 2023.