The first sign of trouble for "The Idol" came after Deadline reported that Seimetz, who was set to direct all episodes of the series, exited the show amid a "major creative overhaul." The outlet noted that Levinson then stepped in to take over directing duties, though he's since been credited as a cocreator and executive producer.
HBO declined to comment on the matter at the time. However, according to a Deadline report published just one day prior, the network said it was "evolving" its original vision for the show. "'The Idol''s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction," an HBO spokeswoman told the outlet. "The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon."
Two days following HBO's statement, Deadline then reported that cast member Suzanna Son exited "The Idol" for unknown reasons. The cast and directorial changes, according to the publication, were due to Tesfaye being "unhappy" with the show's creative direction. The series had already filmed four to five episodes at that point but underwent significant reshoots, per Variety.