Euphoria season 3 is in the works, and we finally have a release date - but it's not exactly what fans were hoping for.
During a press event on Thursday (2 November), HBO CEO and chairman Casey Bloys said that we'll be waiting until at least 2025 to see Zendaya reprise her role as Rue in the hit series. The show was shown in a sizzle reel alongside The White Lotus season 3, and The Last of Us season 2, which said “Coming in 2025”, as per Variety. The reason for the delay is largely due to the SAG-AFTRA actors and writers strikes which put a halt on a number of productions.
While the first season of Euphoria dropped in January 2021, and the second in January 2022, this means fans could expect a three year gap or longer for the new season - and people aren't happy. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), one person said: “Keep it, we don't want it”. Another added: “Cancel it IMO”, while a third said: “And we are still in 2023...which means we still have 14 full months to go. And the show might not premiere in January of 2025. Yup, they can keep it.”
While we don't know too much about the third season, earlier this year the show's creator Sam Levinson stated that it's set to be a “film noir”. In an interview with Elle US featuring Euphoria star Zendaya, Levinson divulged that he will be using the Spider-Man actor's character as a means of exploring “what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world”.
The third season will also reportedly involve a five-year time jump into the future. In an interview with Vogue, the show's costume designer teased more details, stating: “I’m really excited to read the scripts. 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. I mean, it might be a total trip. Who can say?”
Heidi added: “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.” As of yet, the time jump has yet to be confirmed, but we're interested in seeing how it pans out for our favourite characters if it does!
It's safe to say that excitement is fever-pitch following the long-anticipated season two, which came to an end in early 2022. The season continued to chronicle the main character Rue's (played by Zendaya) tempestuous struggle with addiction – as well as other juicy storylines, including Nate and Cassie's betrayal of Maddie and the modern love story that was #Fexi.
However, following Angus Cloud's untimely death in August this year, and news that another actor isn't returning for the third season, we're intrigued to know how this new season will play out. Here's everything we know about season three of Euphoria, including cast news, release date, and more.
Warning: spoilers for Euphoria season two are below…
Has Euphoria season 3 been confirmed yet?
It's coming, folks! Euphoria season 3 has been confirmed by HBO.
Is there a release date for Euphoria season 3?
HBO CEO Casey Bloys has confirmed that we should expect season three of Euphoria to drop in 2025, three years after season 2 finished.
It was originally slated to begin filming at the end of 2023, but was pushed back due to the SAG-AFTRA actors and writers strike.
“Euphoria is one of those that we had begun writing in tandem with post-production on Idol but at this point, we don’t have countless scripts,” HBO Drama Chief Francesca Ors previously told Variety. “We can’t start shooting, so the delivery of that show — ideally in 2025 — will be determined on when we can pick back up with Sam [Levinson], who at this point is all pencils down and just finishing posts on Idol.”
Who will star in Euphoria season 3?
It's confirmed that Zendaya will return as Rue, and we'd wager that Hunter Schafer will be back as Jules, Sydney Sweeney as Cassie, Maude Apatow as Lexi, Alexa Demie as Maddy and Jacob Elordi as Nate.
Yet, following Angus Cloud's death in August 2023, it's likely his character, Fezco, will be written out of the show.
Elordi's character Nate called the police on his own father Cal Jacobs (played by Eric Dane) in the season 2 finale, and while we should see more of him, we're not sure how much just yet.
Dane told Variety: "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."
Sadly, Barbie Ferreira will not be returning as Kat. The star posted an emotional Instagram Story confirming that she won't be returning for the third season. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” her story read.
She opened up further on a podcast interview episode of Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard, confirming it was a “mutual decision” for her to leave the show because her character's story had ran its course.
"I don't think there was a place for her to go," she added of her character Kat. "I think there were places she could have gone. I just don't think it would have fit into the show. I don't know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don't want to play that, and I think they didn't want that either."
"I just felt like, maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit?" she said. “So, for me, I actually felt good to be like, 'OK, I get to not worry about this and we both don't get too worried about this,' because it's exhausting.”
Season two newcomer Chloe Cherry has spoken out about her character Faye's journey for season three after her arrest at Fez's house during a police raid in season two. "I think Faye has a story of addiction to tell as Rue does; even though it’s different, I think that they could learn something from each other," she told Variety.
"I also think Rue is a non-judgmental character, and I think that is all Faye needs. I think if they got closer, they would get along because they have these shared experiences, and they are both chill girls in spite of it."
Tom Holland has also confessed that he'd love to make an appearance on the show, saying, "Listen, I have been petitioning for this for a long time, and it has not happened yet, and I'm very disappointed," adding that he must have gone to visit the Euphoria set “30 times.” We're here for it!
What is Euphoria season 3 about?
As well as the reported five-year time jump, we don't know much else about the plot of season 3. However, a few of the show's stars have shared their own theories – plus the season 2 finale left plenty of fans with questions as to what will happen next. Here's hoping we'll find out whether Rue managed to stay sober past the end of the school year – and is that really it between her and Jules?
Will season 3 be the last series?
Say it ain't so! There have been rumours that Euphoria won't run for a super long time, particularly since it chronicles the lives of teenagers. Bloys previously told TVLine that the show “has a time limit” since the actors are getting older and can't portray high school students for too much longer.
He recently confirmed it would be Zendaya and creator Sam Levinson who make those decisions, however. “I will let Sam and Zendaya talk about (that),” he told the site. “I’m very excited about what they’ve got planned. So I will leave that to them. I will say, generally speaking, we trust where they want to take these characters. So we’ll let the creative team lead the way.”
Is there a trailer for Euphoria season 3?
There's currently no trailer, as the stars have yet to begin filming. But check back in a few months! In the meantime, you can watch Euphoria season two on Sky and streaming service NOW.
