10 Decisions That Have Already Doomed Upcoming TV Shows
5. Changing The "Creative Direction" During Shooting - The Idol
On paper, there are many reasons to be excited about HBO's upcoming drama series The Idol.
Co-created by Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and The Weeknd, the show revolves around a pop star (Lily-Rose Depp) who begins a relationship with a cult leader (The Weeknd) in an attempt to regain her standing as the sexiest pop star in America. Yup.
The Idol boasts one hell of an ensemble cast, also including Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, Hank Azaria, Elizabeth Berkley, and the late Anne Heche.
But production on the show behind-the-scenes has been rickety to say the least, with series director Amy Seimetz abruptly exiting the show half-way through filming, after several episodes had already been shot.
Reports indicate that The Weeknd felt the show was "leaning too much into a female perspective," resulting in Levinson eventually taking over as director.
For a show focused on a woman's experiences, it's an extremely bad look to edge out the female director and replace her with, well, the guy who directed Assassination Nation and Malcolm & Marie.
Don't be surprised if the end result, switching between Seimetz and Levinson's directorial visions half-way through, is an absolute mess of tones and ideas.