You Have to See The Weeknd's $70 Million Bel-Air Mansion That's Featured in "The Idol"
HBO’s upcoming series The Idol has garnered a lot of attention since it was ordered by the company in November 2021—from the creatives involved (and those who left) to its lack of an official release date. A new Rolling Stone report claims the project has turned toxic, in terms of the workplace environment and series content, revealing some details about what the sets entail—including the use of The Weekend’s Bel-Air mansion as a filming location. As we wait to hear when the series will actually hit the company’s streaming platform, take a look at everything we know about the production’s backdrops.
First, what is The Idol about?
The dark drama series is billed by HBO as “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood” from “the sick and twisted minds of the creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson, and Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye.” The music industry tale follows The Weeknd as a “self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult” who has a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol played by Lily-Rose Depp. Supporting stars include Blackpink’s Jennie, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, and more.
Where was the series filmed?
Through shake-ups and halts in production, the series was filmed in and around Los Angeles. A seemingly prominent location, featured in the drama’s various teaser trailers, is The Weeknd’s personal mansion in Bel-Air. The artist purchased the home in 2021 for $70 million. The approximately 33,000-square-foot home sits on a 1.6-acre lot. A gym, movie theater, music studio, sauna, and an indoor pool are some of the luxurious offerings inside. Among the exterior’s desirable features are multiple outdoor entertaining spaces, a sports court, and an infinity-edge pool with a waterfall. (See photos of the home here and here.)
According to Rolling Stone’s sources, using the star’s home likely helped conserve costs during the project’s second shoot and “helped compensate for the cost of renting actress Alyson Hannigan’s former Encino pad, which had previously served as the headquarters of the cult Tesfaye’s character ran.”
The Weeknd also tapped a show in his After Hours Til Dawn tour at Los Angles’s SoFi Stadium in September 2022 for the series. At the concert, Depp gave a monologue in character onstage saying: “Tonight is incredibly special because I have the opportunity to introduce you to the love of my life—the man who pulled me through the darkest hours and into the light.” She then invited “Tedros,” the name of The Weeknd's character in the drama, to come onstage in front of a reportedly confused audience.
While we stand by to learn more about the sets and filming locations in the series, check out more extravagant celebrity homes that are expensive and expansive inside and out.
You love filming locations. So do we. Let’s obsess over them together.
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