From the first screening of “The Idol” at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the warning signs appeared. Instead of the usually effusive ovation from the black-tie audience at the Palais des Festivals, tepid applause and awkward side-eye greeted the first two episodes of the HBO drama series, as Warner Bros.
‘The Idol’ Canceled: Inside the Quick, Messy Death of HBO’s Controversial Drama | Analysis
Sam Levinson’s sexualized drama seemed set to become summer’s biggest release, but ended up as a cultural black eye