HBO

‘The Idol’ Viewers Were Here For One Character’s Change In Demeanor While Being Scandalized By The Rest Of Episode 2

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The Idol Jennie
HBO

Few people would ever accuse (or praise) the The Idol of being anything less than an intentionally controversial hot mess. The second episode more than doubled down on the softcore-porn vibe with nudity galore and a particularly unsettling sex scene (a followup on the confusing counterpart of the pilot) between Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s Tedros. (I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that a different kind of choking was involved.) As viewers learned about the latter, he is apparently leading some kind of sex cult, and he’s succeeding at getting Jocelyn into his clutches. By the end of this week’s edition, he’s arranged to move into her mansion as her career is falling into tatters around her.

And that’s where the character of Dyanne comes back into focus. The back-up dancer character, who is portrayed by K-pop star Jennie Kim from Blackpink, already captured more YouTube views for one scene than the premiere initially racked up for HBO. Jennie later revealed that the choreography came pretty naturally, and it seems that everything that Jocelyn can do (dancing, singing, and “f*ck”-ing), Dyanne can do better.

In retrospect, this HBO tweet had some fun with what was to come: “Everyone needs a Dyanne.”

As it turns out, Dyanne was the reason why Jocelyn ended up at Tedros’ club. She’s also apparently coming for Jocelyn’s career, and by the end of the episode, she’s laid down a track for a record executive (played by Jane Adams) who sent Jocelyn home after her on-set meltdown.

Here’s a budding theory (about that leaked photo) that actually might not be too far-fetched, considering all that we are learning about this cult.

Amid all of the well-founded tweets complaining about the Jocelyn-Tedros sex scene, another refrain is becoming clear: people are enjoying the revelation that Jennie is portraying a villain. So, I imagine that a great deal of people who continue to tune in will do so solely for the Blackpink star.

HBO’s The Idol airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.

Is HBO’s “The Idol” Worth The Hype? Twitter Sounds Off On The Weeknd’s New Show

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The criticism surrounding HBO’s The Idol was loud, even before it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. And the show’s debut seemingly reinforced it for audiences. Although fans were understandably excited for the all-star cast, including The Weeknd as Tedros and Lily Rose-Depp as Jocelyn, the absurdity of the show hasn’t necessarily won fans over just yet. The Sam Levinson-co-created endeavor finds Jocelyn attempting to repair her image after a mental breakdown before being swooped into Tedros’ cult-like world.

The first episode of the show debuted on HBO on Sunday night, leading to plenty of mixed reactions from fans. Some feel as though it’s an excellent debut that will have them returning week after week while others have sided with critics. Plus, many felt some type of way after it replaced Succession on HBO’s weekly scheduled. “oh the idol is BAD bad i cannot believe this monstrosity is replacing succession sunday,” one fan wrote on Twitter following The Idol’s debut.

Read More: The Weeknd’s Biggest Hits

HBO’s The Idol Mixed Reviews

Besides the premise of the show being incredulous on its own, the actual acting was a point of critique among many viewers. Between The Weeknd’s hairstyle and his general acting chops, fans were quite disappointed in what he had to offer on screen. Evidently, he’s a far better musician than he is an actor. However, BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim earned unanimous applause for her efforts in the series, specifically her dance break.

Overall, it seems like The Idol will continue to draw reactions episode after episode, even if people aren’t entirely enthusiastic about the first episode. The Weeknd’s formal foray into the world of television is undoubtedly controversial and polarizing but it seems like it’s an interesting starting point for what could be the next chapter in his career. After formally changing his stage name to Abel, perhaps, he has more television scripts in store for the future.

Read More: “The Idol” Praise: Sharon Stone Applauds The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp As HBO Series Slammed For Nudity

The Reactions 

We’ve gathered some of the best reactions following the first episode of The Idol. Check them out and let us know whether you agree or not. Is The Idol worth the hype? Sound off in the comment section below. 

The post Is HBO’s “The Idol” Worth The Hype? Twitter Sounds Off On The Weeknd’s New Show appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

SOURCE SPORTS: HBO In Production On Barry Bonds Documentary

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HBO and Words + Pictures are currently in production on a documentary chronicling Barry Bonds, one of the greatest talents in the history of baseball, and one of the most compelling and polarizing figures in all of sports. 

Keith McQuirter, (“By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem”) who spent his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area, isdirecting the film with Academy Award®-winner Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”) serving as an executive producer alongside Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy® Award-winning series, “30 for 30” and executive producers of “The Last Dance.” The filmmakers will include a diverse cast of influential figures from Barry Bonds’ life and career, and the opportunity for Bonds to actively participate and share his firsthand experiences remains available.

McQuirter says of the forthcoming doc, “Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s, Barry Bonds was the ultimate superstar. You couldn’t escape his name or his game, his story, or his personality. Every time he stepped up to the plate, the energy was electric – because he wasn’t just competing with his contemporaries, he was competing with history. Bonds was undoubtedly controversial, but no matter how you felt about him, his pursuit of becoming the greatest player of all time was mesmerizing.  Through a series of interviews, we will illuminate the untold story of Bonds, providing an intimate look behind the scenes. It will all add up to a complex journey that was one of the most enduring and consequential tales in American sports history – a tale I can’t wait to tell.”

The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s. Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will chronicle Bonds’ emergence as one of the game’s most talented all-around players with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants and then his years as a superstar with the Giants when he rewrote the record book in his late 30s amid controversy. All throughout, Bonds’ path to the doorstep of the Hall of Fame was an epic saga of sports, society, and culture in America.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: HBO In Production On Barry Bonds Documentary appeared first on The Source.

The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp Get Raunchy In New Trailer For “The Idol”

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The Weeknd is set to make his television acting debut this weekend as The Idol officially debuts on HBO. Overall, the show has been getting panned by critics. Most of this stems from the fact that there is a lot of sexually explicit material in the show. Additionally, there have been some allegations made regarding some of the behavior on set and behind the scenes. Not to mention, Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson is writing the show, and he is known for stirring up controversy. Needless to say, the show hasn’t even premiered and it is off to a pretty rough start.

However, The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp seem to heavily believe in this new project. During their week at the Cannes Film Festival, the two stars of the show had nothing but good things to say about it. Moreover, there is a soundtrack that goes with this show, and of course, it is being put together by Abel. Sure, the critics may hate it, but those involved are excited, so good for them. Now, a new trailer has touched down today and it certainly turns up to the raunchy meter.

Read More: “The Idol” Praise: Sharon Stone Applauds The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp As HBO Series Slammed For Nudity

The Weeknd Loves His New Show

The trailer showcases the relationship between The Weeknd’s character and Depp’s. Abel plays Tedros who is helping pop star Jocelyn reach her full potential. However, their relationship becomes all about sex and drugs, as well as all of the other vices one could imagine. Just like Euphoria, it seems like this show is ramping up the sex. For some, this is just too gratuitous and needs to be toned down. Although, if Sam Levinson has taught us anything, it’s that he doesn’t know how to do that,

For those of you out there who want to watch the show, you will be able to do so as of Sunday, June 4th on HBO. However, watch at your own discretion. This doesn’t look like it is going to be for everyone. Overall, it will be fun to see the Rotten Tomatoes audience scores. Let us know what you think of this trailer, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music and entertainment worlds.

Read More: Lily-Rose Depp Shows Off PDA With GF 070 Shake Following Controversial “The Idol” Premiere

Early Reviews Of HBO’s ‘The Idol’ Have More ‘Softcore Porn’ Comparisons Than They Do Praise For The Show

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the idol lily rose depp the weeknd HBO
Eddy Chen/HBO

Yesterday (May 22), HBO’s upcoming series The Idol premiered at Cannes. Attendees got to view the first two of the upcoming six episodes of the Sam Levinson and The Weeknd-helmed series, which is set to premiere next month.

While anticipation is high for the series — which is said to tell the story of a pop star named Jocelyn (Lily Rose Depp) who falls in love with a cult leader named Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) — the show appears to have been panned by critics. We’ll spare some of the more graphic details, but we’ve included portions of some of the reviews below.

Rolling Stone, who published an exposé about the show’s allegedly harsh production conditions, said that The Idol was even more scandalous than they imagined.

“The double-dose the festival screened felt nasty, brutish, much longer than it is, and way, way worse than you’d have anticipated,” read the review.

Variety described The Idol as a “sordid male fantasy” and said the show’s script “seems calculated to fool audiences into thinking they’re observing how Hollywood operates, when so much of it amounts to tawdry clichés lifted from Sidney Sheldon novels and softcore porn.”

The Hollywood Reporter called The Idol “an HBO series that’s more regressive than transgressive.”

Following the Cannes screening, the series has debuted with a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Idol premieres on 6/4 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

“Succession” Is About To Tackle The 2020 Election

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The final season of HBO‘s smash-hit Succession has been absolutely wild. After three seasons of being the world’s worst dad, media mogul Logan Roy died on his private jet. That left his four children – Connor, Kendal, Roman, and Shi – to try and pick up the pieces left behind by their father. Primarily, that’s seen them discover their father’s alleged successor (Kendall) before trying to ensure that a merger with a Swedish streaming service doesn’t fall through.

Only that went and took a big hit after said streaming service’s owner, Lukas Matsson, made a Holocaust joke on Twitter. That brings us to episode 7, “Tailgate Party, and the eve of the 2020 election. At the party hosted by a slowly reconciling Shiv and Tom, everyone tries to push their own agenda while publicly playing nice. Shiv tries to cement herself as the woman behind Matsson. Roman, having skipped an event that led to Kendal shining brighter than ever, is trying to get Connor to drop out of the Presidential race and back the Republican candidate. Meanwhile, Kendall takes a sledgehammer to political glad-handing.

“America Decides” Brings The 2020 Election to 2023

All of that brings us to the upcoming episode 8, “America Decides”. Described by series creator Jesse Armstrong as the most shocking episode before the finale, it’s a scathing look at how the 1% view elections. In the running for the Presidency are the Roman-backed far-right Republican Jeryd Mencken, Connor Roy, and the unseen Bernie Sanders-inspired Democrat Daniel Jimenez. We hear zeitgeist phrases like “every vote must be counted” and “false flag”, that ring with a new pitch in 2023.

But it’s clear that the episode will channel the election through the four siblings. With ATN, Waystar Royco’s flagship news channel and obvious Fox stand-in, set to have its future decided by the election, everything’s on the line. Furthermore, the results of the election will likely dictate the events of the 90-minute finale. If the Republicans win, Roman literally has the President in his pocket. If the Democrats win, Kendall has to be careful not to poke the bear he just put to sleep. But what is going to make this episode Armstrong’s magnum opus in terms of shock value? The easy answer is that Connor wins the White House, but that feels too expected. The only way we’ll find out for sure is when the episode drops on May 14.

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“Succession” Finale Set To Be A Feature-Length Event

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In just a few weeks, Succession will come to an end. The boardroom drama has been a major success for HBO since it debuted in 2018. Furthermore, it has been met with critical acclaim. The show currently holds a 95% critics rating and an 89% audience rating. It was even name-dropped at the recent White House Correspondent’s Dinner.

Succession follows Waystar Royco, a media empire not so subtly based on Fox owners, the Murdoch family. Specifically, it follows the four children of CEO Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as they navigate their lives and battle to be named their father’s successor. There’s forgotten eldest son Connor (Alan Ruck), troubled Kendall (Jeremy Strong), wayward wildcard Roman (Kieran Culkin), and ambitious but spurned (because she’s a girl) former political fixer Shiv (Sarah Snook).

“Succession” Set For 90-Minute Finale

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: The cast of ‘Succession’ (L-R) Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook and Nicholas Braun onstage during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The show is barrelling through its fourth and final season. The gloves are fully off as the show killed off Logan in Episode 3. With Kendall taking over as CEO, according to a controversial line in Logan’s will, the siblings are trying to co-exist in their new reality. This includes tying up loose ends, attempting to solidify their business dealings, and trying to figure out where they stack up in their new reality. This Sunday, Episode 7 (Tailgate Party) will debut. The episode appears to deal with Logan’s funeral, as well as the fallout of some viral tweets from tentative business partner Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård).

The Succession finale is set for May 28, and details are starting to emerge about the episode. According to composer Nicholas Britell, who won an Emmy for the show’s opening theme, the finale will be a feature-length. Speaking with Variety, Britell revealed that the finale episode will run for 90 minutes. “It’s a huge episode — like a movie,” Britell said. Little else is known about the finale. However, previous reporting suggests that the finale will not be establishing any threads for spinoffs.

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HBO Reveals First Look At Donna Summer Documentary

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It’s hard to state just how big disco was at its peak. The Disco Boom of the 1970s fundamentally changed music and culture. Studio 54, the iconic New York club, became a household name on the back of the genre. But Disco was more than just music. It was light and aesthetic, and a complete and total disco “vibe”. However, there was widespread opposition to disco, especially those from the rock and roll community. A DJ famously destroyed a dumpster full of Disco records at a Chicago White Sox game in 1979

Born in Boston, Donna Summer (born LaDonna Gaines), was arguably the face of mainstream Disco music. She lived a fascinating life, including spending nearly a working and performing in Munich. However, she is best known for helping spearhead Disco’s rise in the late 1970s. Her catalog includes four #1 hits and all-time bangers like “I Feel Love” and “Love To Love You Baby”. Summer passed away in 2012 from lung cancer.

HBO Gives First Look At “Love To Love You, Donna Summer”

HBO is now telling the full story of Donna Summer. Love To Love You, Donna Summer will document her life and rise to the throne of Disco. Based on archival footage and interviews with both Summer and people who knew her best, the film will show Summer like never before. Everything from Munich to MTV will be on display.

That includes highlighting the toll fame took on her. The documentary will also delve into Summer’s propensity for secretive behavior. “My approach to singing, I approach it as an actress,” Summer is heard saying, “I don’t approach it as a singer. And it’s really acting. I’m not trying to be me.” The film will also go behind the music, looking at Summer’s struggles with fame and her attempts to balance her career with raising her family. Two of Summer’s children, Brooklyn and Amanda, have followed in her footsteps. Love To Love You, Donna Summer already holds a 71% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its debut at the Berlin Film Festival. You can see Love To Love You, Donna Summer for yourself starting on May 20 on HBO and Max.

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