Why Does HBO's The Idol Feel Like a Britney Spears Breakdown Story?

On Thursday, a new trailer for Abel Tesfaye and Sam Levinson's The Idol was released, sparking new emotions in fans — from joy and anticipation to disappointment and deja vu.

First of all, the release of the show appears to be scheduled for 2023 — a big blow to fans who expected to spice up their 2022.

Secondly, the entire vibe of the trailer, along with the first impressions of the storyline, makes fans feel like The Idol was inspired by... Britney Spears infamous breakdown.

The show is following an aspiring pop star who is to brace herself before she faces the world full of temptations, deceptions and "monsters" that the pop industry of Los Angeles offer.

Spears, who has just recently freed herself from what she described as her father's abusive conservatorship, was spotted with Tesfaye and Levinson in late May, immediately sparking rumors that she could be involved in the making of the upcoming show.

While some people believe that Britney will record a song specifically for the show, it also cannot be ruled out that Levinson and Tesfaye met with the pop star in order to settle some details if the show does, in fact, take inspiration from her own life.

Under the conservatorship, Spears claimed, her life was entirely controlled by her father, who would manage her finances and even her sex life, while also forcing her to do exhausting touring. The conservatorship started in 2008, around a year after Spears paraded a shaved head and met a man who would allegedly control her entire life under the pretext of being her manager.

In some parts of the trailer, a voice similar to Britney's can be heard — which makes the theory about her being involved in the show's soundtrack more plausible. Spears herself has not commented on her role in The Idol.

The Idol will be released in 2023 on HBO, with Tesfaye joined by Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, Daniel Levy, and Jennie from BLACKPINK as the stars of the show.