So far, HBO’s new series ‘The Idol’ has been more known for the controversy swirling around it than the provocative content of the show itself.
Created by ‘Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim and musician Abel “The Weekend” Tesfaye, ‘The Idol’ hit the headlines back in March when Rolling Stone published a behind-the-scenes report of creative changes, chaos and sexually challenging scenes.
Levinson, of course, is no stranger to all that with ‘Euphoria’, but the news is threatening to swamp the show, even as it prepares to launch out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival next month.
(L to R) Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.
Part of that news included the departure of original director Amy Seimetz, who left in April 2022, leading Levinson to step in and start guiding the direction of the show.
“‘The Idol’s’ creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction. The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon.”
(L to R) Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.
What’s the plot of ‘The Idol’?
The series stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a fame-hungry young woman looking to take over the entertainment industry. When she meets Tedros, a powerful, sex-obsessed cult leader portrayed by Tesfaye, Jocelyn’s career expands to new heights.
Jocelyn and her team are inspired by the 1990s exploits of Britney Spears and co. but under the guidance –– control? –– of Tedros (who runs nightclubs but exerts a powerful influence over those who enter his orbit), that skyrockets in a whole other direction.
Lily-Rose Depp on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.
What was the reported behind-the-scenes drama on the show?
According to the Rolling Stone article, which included research interviews with several cast and members, the show began to change from the Seimetz-era story of a fallen pop starlet looking to reclaim her agency to a degrading love story with a hollow message.
Here’s what one crewmember said,
“What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century. The things that we subject our talent and stars to, the forces that put people in the spotlight and how that can be manipulated in the post-Trump world. It went from satire to the thing it was satirizing.”
But several sources disputed those reports, with a statement from the company describing it as ,
“One of the most exciting and provocative original programs. The creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew.”
The truth, as often, appears to lie somewhere in between. We’ll see if the narrative shifts once the show lands on the Max streaming service on Sunday June 4th.
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye on HBO’s ‘The Idol.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.
Debuting in theaters on December 21st, ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ reunites audiences with the dashing, daring feline hero who got his start in the ‘Shrek’ movies to humorous effect.
With 12 years between ‘Puss in Boots’ entries, you might be forgiven for thinking that DreamWorks Animation had decided to close the door on movies based on its ‘Shrek’ universe altogether, outside of occasional straight-to-streaming spin-offs.
Yet here comes Puss, riding back with a full theatrical release and leaving hints that we’ll be revisiting the wider ‘Shrek’-verse before too long.
Judged on its own merits, however, ‘The Last Wish’ is a worthy, funny follow-up to the 2011 movie, which gives a little extra depth to the charismatic hero, who has little time for rules or regulations.
A quick burst of exposition catches us up with what Puss (Antonio Banderas, on enthusiastic vocal form as always) has been up to and provides a handy sketch for those who have not watched one of his appearances before.
Which is all to say: Puss has been being Puss––drinking lots of milk, pulling off daring feats, annoying local authorities and hosting raucous parties (the initial scene features a combination of all three).
But after his latest scrape, he realizes that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll: Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives. An early highlight is a flashback clip showing how the others were lost, the character falling afoul of canons, weightlifting accidents, and falls from great heights.
Worried that he’s on borrowed time, he initially decides to retire, heading for Mama Luna’s (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), a home for stray cats. Initially rebellious, he soon falls into a routine of eating with the others and using the litter tray like a regular moggy.
A chance encounter with thieves who come looking for something at the house reveals the existence of the titular last wish––a star that could help him restore his spent lives. And along for the quest will be his former flame, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and new friend/annoyance Perro (Harvey Guillén), a pug who longs to find his place in the world and who had been hiding out at Mama Luna’s disguised as a cat.
Puss isn’t the only one looking for the star, though. He and his friends will have to stay one step ahead of Goldi (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears Crime Family, and Jack Horner (John Mulaney), a rich, spoiled brat who is constantly trying to shake his reputation as “Little” Jack Horner.
Plus, Puss is being pursued by a mysterious bounty hunter, the Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura), who appears to be more supernatural than your usual tracker. Could this be death on Puss’ trail given his lack of lives?
‘The Last Wish’ certainly stands as a solid sequel to ‘Puss in Boots’, and boasts an attractive, imaginative animation style that, like ‘The Bad Guys’ before it, owes a debt to ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ for its blend of techniques that give the movie a painterly quality and the feeling of anime at different points.
It’s certainly a shift from the standard look of the previous movie and other ‘Shrek’ entries, and makes for a frenetic, yet clear visual palette. If the teams behind these films are going to keep experimenting and finding new ways to present these movies, it’s something to be encouraged.
Story-wise, this remains your basic quest mixed with pop culture references (though the latter side has been toned down some). Wacky villains are brought to life by a fine cast of voices beyond those we’ve already listed, including Olivia Colman as Mama Bear and Ray Winstone as Papa Bear.
Banderas is still the beating, comical heart of the film, but combined with the updated animation, Puss really does seem to have a new life in this story. He’s always been one of the more entertaining characters from this fairy tale-spoofing cinematic universe (and deserving of spin-off films), and ‘The Last Wish’ earns its place in the canon.
Hayek, meanwhile, is still a delight as Kitty, every bit Puss’ equal on the action front and even more cunning when the moment calls for it. And though some of the others don’t get as much to do (Colman, Winstone and Samson Kayo as the bears are rarely handled the best material, though Mulaney’s vocal style makes Jack work on a level he might not otherwise), this is more visually dynamic than vocal.
The nods to classic stories are smart and feed into the plot, directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, along with writers Tommy Swerdlow and Paul Fisher keeping the whole affair light on its feet (as is befitting a crafty cat). And the jokes come thick and fast––if some don’t land, another is on the way to make up for it a few seconds later. It’s fast and fun.
And yes, there are of course callbacks to past Puss stories, including the deployment of nuclear-level cute faces from both Puss and Kitty (Perro trying his own with, let’s charitably call them, “mixed” results).
It’s never going to challenge the minutely crafted likes of ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ or ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’, but it’s far from a pumped-out moneymaking exercise. But unlike ‘Pinocchio’ it features little––aside, perhaps from a couple of moments with the wolf––likely to traumatize the youngest in the audience.
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.
