Though it got off to a slightly slow start with season one, HBO’s hit teen drama Euphoria cemented itself as one of America’s most talked-about shows when the second season was airing in 2022. Who can forget the delightful chaos of Euphoria Sundays on Twitter? The show that won Zendaya her first Emmy and launched a thousand think pieces will return for its third installment. But when? Initially, it was thought to be returning in late 2023 or 2024, but due to scheduling conflicts and setbacks including the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the series won’t return to screens any time soon. Find out when the premiere will air as well as everything else we know about Euphoria season three so far (Spoilers for season two of Euphoria ahead):
What is the plot of Euphoria season three?
The plot of Euphoria season three is still largely under wraps, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate. There are a few details we do know, specifically about when the third installment takes place.
Speaking to Elle in August 2023, creator Sam Levinson said that he sees the season as a “film noir,” adding that through Rue he plans to “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.”
Meanwhile, the show’s costume designer Heidi Bivens told Vogue that season three might take place half a decade after season two. “There is talk of it being approximately five years in the future, and that they’re not in high school anymore. Dorothy’s not in Kansas anymore,” she said. “I mean, it might be a total trip. Who can say? But knowing Sam’s brain, it’s gonna be exciting, and he will challenge all of us, because he won’t want to repeat himself. It’ll be something new for the audience to discover.”
Zendaya seemed to confirm the time jump as well, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’ll be exciting to explore the characters out of high school.” She also spoke on her character Rue’s continued development, saying, “I want to see what Rue looks like in her sobriety journey, how chaotic that might look. But also with all the characters, in the sense where they’re trying to figure out what to do with their lives when high school is over and what kind of people they want to be. What was special about [season two] was that we got to dive into [the other characters] in a much deeper sense. I think we can do that again with the third season. There’s so much talent, you want to make sure everybody has the chance to have that.”
In January of 2024, Jacob Elordi, who plays tortured jock Nate Jacobs, echoed that the new season will likely be set in the future. Speaking with Jimmy Fallon about when the series will begin filming again, Elordi said, “I hope it’s soon, or they’re going to have to Benjamin Button me or something. I’m going to have a bad back walking down the hallway, you know?” He added, “I’m assuming that we’ll have to go forward, otherwise it’s going to seem like a weird bit.”
There are IMDB notes that indicate Euphoria season three will be filming in multiple countries; in the past, the show has only taken place in the fictional town of East Highland. It seems production for season three will take place however, in Singapore, Italy, England, and Ireland in addition to the USA.
Beyond that, we don’t know much except that the oft-controversial Sam Levinson has plenty of surprises in store. Speaking to Hypebae after his first Emmy win, Colman Domingo (who plays Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Ali to Zendaya’s Rue), said, “Sam Levinson and I had some really deep conversations as of last weekend actually. Where he’s talking about the arcs of all the characters and what he wants to do to expand that, to actually re-examine at times. It’s an organism and he wants it to keep shifting it in many ways and I think he’s going to take some really big swings actually with season three.”
Which cast members will return?
It’s likely most of the main cast will return for season three, including Zendaya as Rue Bennet, Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard, Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez, Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard and Jacob Elordi as Nate.
In February 2022, season two breakout Dominic Fike told Jimmy Fallon that his character, the moody, guitar-playing drug addict Elliot, would “absolutely” be part of season three.
Actor Eric Dane, who plays Nate Jacob’s duplicitous father Cal, has also confirmed his return. At the end of season two, Cal was arrested after Nate turned him into the police with damaging evidence of his underage relationships. Speaking to Variety, Dane addressed his character’s possible arc: “There’s gonna be redemption. That’s the trajectory he’s on. I can’t imagine Cal’s life from solitary confinement. It’s tough to work Cal into the storyline when he’s behind bars.”
Images of Elordi training for his role as Nate also recently hit the internet, seeming to confirm his return:
One character who definitively won’t return is Kat Hernandez, played by Barbie Ferreira. Kat’s character sparked tons of discourse, given her treatment as the show’s sole plus-size character, in addition to endless rumors about behind-the-scenes drama between Ferreira and Levinson.
On August 24, 2022, Ferreira announced with an Instagram Story post that she would not return to Euphoria season three. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary eyed goodbye,” she wrote. “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. I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it. Love you Katherine Hernandez.”
Angus Cloud’s tragic death at the age of 25 on July 31, 2023 means that the character of Fezco will not be returning. Given that his sidekick, Ashtray (played by Javon “Wanna” Walton) seemed to have been killed in the season two finale, it’s unlikely he’ll return either—but you never know.
Will Euphoria’s season three be its last?
In January 2024, HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys would neither confirm nor deny whether season three will mark the end of the series. “Obviously the cast have all become stars, which you love to see—and Zendaya is obviously a big movie star,” Bloys told Variety following the 2023 Emmys. “So, there is a practical reality to that. But it also depends on the stories Sam [Levinson] wants to tell. He’s in the thick of writing season three right now and we’ll leave it up to him and have those conversations about what he wants to do.”
When will Euphoria season three be released?
There’s no official release date yet but on November 2, 2023 HBO CEO Casey Bloys announced at a press event that Euphoria season three will return in 2025. The show was originally slated for 2024, but due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, production has been beset by delays.
Has Euphoria season three started filming?
In an interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz posted to TikTok on March 13, Sydney Sweeney teased that the filming for the new season may be underway soon.
In the clip, Horowitz asks Sweeney if she’ll take time off following a busy year. “I go into Euphoria,” Sweeney replied.
“We’re actually getting in front of a camera to do Euphoria? Finally?” he asks, to which Sweeney again teases, “Maybe,” adding that she’s “maybe, I don’t know,” seen any scripts.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Horowitz says, with Sweeney replying, “Yeah, I always feel like I go home. It’s like home when I go back to it. I like it. I’m excited. It’s like family.”
Is there a Euphoria season three trailer yet?
There’s no trailer for Euphoria season three yet; stay tuned for updates.
This article was originally published on May 4, 2023
This post was originally published on W Magazine
