Euphoria Season 3 – Development Details And More Info
"Euphoria" season 3 is officially on the horizon. After a chaotic but often powerful second season, some much-discussed behind-the-scenes drama, and a second discourse-baiting Sam Levinson HBO series, the future of the show may have seemed shaky to some. However, it was actually renewed way back in February 2022, and it's always been a pretty sure bet. Zendaya's all-in Emmy-winning performance, coupled with record-breaking ratings, do not a canceled show make, no matter how bothered some folks are by the salacious series' excesses — and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the show.
Responding to rumors that "Euphoria" season 3 had been scrapped, an HBO spokesperson has informed Variety that the network and Levinson "remain committed to making an exceptional third season. In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities," with Variety confirming that scripts for season 3 are still being written. But what will "Euphoria" look like in a third season and who's coming back for it? The show is still lodged firmly in the zeitgeist, even as some of its fans have turned to hate-watchers, but could a third season even redeem it after Levinson's reputation took a highly publicized nose-dive? We can't know for sure, but here's everything we do know about "Euphoria" season 3.
When does Euphoria season 3 premiere?
While HBO hopes to air "Euphoria" Season 3 sometime in 2025, the series is taking quite a while to get to the small screen. The WGA strikes put a pause on writing new scripts, and many of the primary cast members have recently become major stars with busy schedules. On top of all that, creator Sam Levinson is still figuring out where to take the show next, with HBO boss Casey Bloys telling Variety in January 2024 that Levinson was "in the thick of writing season 3 right now."
In other words, it will be a minute before we return to East Highland. Many believed the show would begin filming in the first half of 2024, but in March of that year, HBO announced that "Euphoria" had been put on hold, allowing its stars to pursue other acting options while Levinson was working on the scripts. According to Deadline, HBO still hopes the show will come out in 2025, but if that's the case, it definitely won't be in the first part of the year.
What are the plot details of Euphoria season 3?
"Euphoria" season 2 left off with Rue (Zendaya) in a surprisingly good place. The teen drug addict ended the season on okay terms with both new friend Elliott (Dominic Fike) and girlfriend Jules (Hunter Schafer). More importantly, though, she told viewers via one last surprisingly optimistic voiceover that she stayed clean through the end of her junior year of high school. Season 3 will reportedly feature a time jump, with costume designer Heidi Bivens telling Vogue that the action could be jumping as far as five years into the future.
Levinson has stayed mum on the details surrounding season 3, but he did tell Variety that it will have a "film noir" style to it. He promises that the new season will tell a story through Rue's point of view that "[explores] what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world."
Other cliffhangers that will have to be resolved include the status of broken friend group Maddy (Alexa Demie), Lexi (Maude Apatow), and Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), plus we'll get to see what Nate's (Jacob Elordi) future looks like with his dad, Cal (Eric Dane), potentially behind bars. In addition, there are multiple actors who won't be returning (see below) and the show will have to explain their absence. Personally, we're most invested in the wellbeing of Rue's poor, put-upon little sister, Gia (Storm Reid).
Who is in the cast of Euphoria season 3?
Several "Euphoria" cast members will not be returning for season 3. Barbie Ferreira's Kat, a body-positive cam girl whose plot meandered in season 2, is no longer going to be a part of the story after Ferreira confirmed she won't be back. In August 2022, after months of rumors surrounding her time on the show, the actor shared the news via Instagram stories, writing, "After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character, Kat, I'm having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye. I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today."
Fezco, the sweet and soulful criminal who always had Rue's back, will also not be back following actor Angus Cloud's tragic death at age 25. Javon "Wanna" Walton, who played Fez's younger adopted brother Ashtray, is also out of the cast after his character died in a shootout in the season 2 finale. It's also unclear whether Dominic Fike, who admitted in a previous interview that he was an active drug addict during filming and was nearly fired, will want to return. "I was so f****d up during a lot of that show. It was really bad," the actor told Apple Music's Zane Lowe, noting that Levinson tried to hire him a sobriety coach at the time.
The rest of the show's stars, including Zendaya, Elordi, Sweeney, Apatow, Demie, and others still seem to be on board, but we'll let you know when more casting news breaks.