Yes, The Idol’s Villa Actually Belongs To The Weeknd

Following recent premieres, the latest production cinematic universe license plate hbo extension director’s Sam Levinson ,Sculpture) has attracted attention for everything from its highly graphic sex scenes to reports of disappointing script revisions. Though less salacious, one specific detail of the show stands out among all: the luxurious mansion that serves as home base for pop star Jocelyn, played by lily-rose deppan intriguing location that could be the backdrop for everything from the revelation of revenge porn At a music video rehearsal? This place belongs to a real pop star: Depp’s co-star and co-creator of the show, weekend,

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As confirmed by Architectural Digest, it is actually the home of weekend To bel airSpread over an area of ​​33,000 square metres, it is where most of the action of the pilot takes place. weekend He has owned this property since 2021, and it was reportedly worth $70 million. overlooking the emperor of pillars and glass Bel Air Country Club

and features a recording studio, movie theater, infinity pool with waterfall, and steam room, as seen when depp and co-starred statue, whose name is Jennie (a singer of the same name from the South Korean group Blackpink), relax for a sauna session after an intense dance rehearsal. Second architectural digestSome of The Weekend’s original furnishings also appear in the show, such as the giant painting that frames it. jocelyn During the photoshoot at the beginning of the episode.

The filming set in an actual pop star’s home should give the series an air of authenticity, but it seems the choice was artistic as well as commercial. according to the statements of levinson To wPart of the inspiration was to save money for the long shoot that saw the departure of the original director. Amy Seimetz And the tone of the series has reportedly been changed.

“If we wanted to remake the film from the beginning, I knew we would have to spend less. One day when I was cohabitating in Abel’s house, I looked at the house of about 40,000 square meters with I was and commented: ‘This is an amazing place, you can’t buy a production design like this.’ What if we shot it here? Levinson explained. “Abel listened to me, then put down his drink to say, ‘Do you have insurance?’ I answered yes. And he replied: ‘It suits me’».

Levinson later told a w To finish work on the series, he “essentially moved into Tesfaye’s house”, along with his wife and son. weekend, by contrast, actually took place around the same time, as he said he felt like “they were trying to blur the line between fiction and reality” and that coming home after filming was a strange experience. . He said that when he came back he changed the furniture and repainted the walls.

“The bedrooms have become green Room, The bathrooms were used for hairdressers and make-up artists,” he said. Tesfaye To w, “We built a music studio in the basement so that me and Mike Dean who helped us build it could score the shows we filmed.”

From bird’s eye shots to the pilot episode, the house plays an important role on the team of jocelyn To solve a PR crisis by the pool, to walk and chat in the elegant white corridors of the house, filming the protagonist mainly in the master bedroom. jocelyn And its dancers also rehearse the choreography in the garden. It is possible that, with a constant of SculptureThe sprawling mansion serves as a gilding cage for Jocelyn, who has all the trappings of stardom, but still feels controlled by others.

Sculpture Serial orders were awarded in November 2021, but suffered from an inefficient production process: several sources described Rolling stone Typical problems of a chaotic and disorganized production, exacerbated by the breakdown of crew members and even cast members. The series still boasts an impressive, rising supporting cast susanna son And Rachel Sennott like musicians Moses Sumney And jennyas well as established names such as davin joy randolph And Hank Azaria,

Article originally published at GQ US