Entertainment TV Docuseries The Weeknd to Write, Produce and Star in Upcoming HBO Drama' The Idol' The Canadian singer co-created The Idol with Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2021 02:39PM EDT The Weeknd is booked and busy as he gears up for a new series that's in development at HBO. The network announced on Wednesday that the "Blinding Lights" crooner, born Abel Tesfaye, will co-write, executive produce and star in an upcoming drama series titled The Idol. The show follows "a female pop singer [who] starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult," according to a press release from the network, which doesn't detail the singer's character or any additional casting news. The Weeknd, 31, co-created the series alongside Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, The Weeknd's producing partner. Joseph Epstein serves as the project's showrunner. Pari Dukovic The Weeknd 'Will No Longer Allow' Label to Submit His Music for Grammys as the Recording Academy Responds Levinson, Fahim, Epstein, Ashley Levinson, Kevin Turen and Aaron L. Gilbert will executive produce The Idol alongside The Weeknd. Additionally, Mary Laws will write and co-executive produce. The Weeknd's manager Wassim "SAL" Slaiby and creative director La Mar C. Taylor also will co-executive produce. The Idol isn't The Weeknd's first stab at acting. In 2019, he played a fictionalized version of himself in Adam Sandler's acclaimed crime drama, Uncut Gems. He additionally lent his voice to an animated version of himself on American Dad! in 2020. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He is also no stranger to adopting new personas with his music. For his 2020 record, After Hours, The Weeknd dressed in character during many public appearances. During his Saturday Night Live performance last March, he donned a bloodied face and a nose bandage — a look that resembled how he appeared in his "Blinding Lights" video. That November, The Weeknd performed and accepted awards at the 2020 American Music Awards with his entire face wrapped in bandages. And for his "Save Your Tears" music video in January, he debuted a faux plastic surgery-enhanced face. Kevin Mazur/Getty Fans React to The Weeknd's 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Performance as Maze Moment Becomes Viral Meme Ahead of After Hours' release, The Weeknd opened up about the character he adopted. "I feel confident with where I'm taking this record. There's also a very committed vision and character being portrayed," he told CR Fashion Book in March 2020. "And I get to explore a different side of me that my fans have never seen."