HBO has roped in Blackpink’s Jennie in the upcoming HBO TV series The Idol. She joins a cast that is headed by the Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp. The K-pop singer is set to make her Hollywood debut with her role in The Idol, which is still very much under wraps.
Confirming Jennie’s role in the series, HBO took to their Twitter handle and wrote, “Jennie Kim has been cast in #THEIDOL.”
In a statement to Korean news outlet Yonhap, Jennie expressed her excitement for the series and what made her join it. She said, “I found the script very intriguing, so I wanted to be part of the series. I feel very excited. I’ll work hard, so please watch me with affection.”
The news of Jennie joining a Hollywood series has excited K-Pop fans, some of whom consider ‘The Idol’ to be Jennie’s legitimate acting debut. Jennie has previously appeared in TV series Castle Einstein and The Clash, Netflix documentary Blackpink: The Movie and as herself in the long-running YouTube series Blackpink.
Jennie, expected to be credited under her full name Jennie Kim, appeared briefly in a recently released trailer for the show. The show’s release date has not been announced.
As reported by Variety, Jennie was born in Korea, but lived and studied in Auckland, New Zealand, for five years before returning to Korea and joining YG’s talent academy. The four-member group was formed in 2016 and has gone on to enjoy global success. They were the first music group and Korean female act to have five music videos accumulate one billion views each on YouTube and are the most-followed girl group on Spotify.
Talking about the series, The Idol is co-created by The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and Reza Fahim. The series is set against the backdrop of the music industry. The plot follows a self-help guru and cult leader who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.
As Blackpink fans would know, Talent agency YG Entertainment had recently announced that the K-Pop band is in the final stages of recording a new album that will be released in August. According to a statement, the album “starts a continuous large-scale project which will extend through the second half of the year.”
