Summary
Season 3 ofEuphoriahas been delayed for a while now and some speculate that a feud between Zendaya and series creator Sam Levinson is to blame. When Levinson first premiered the show in 2019, HBO viewers got a firsthand look atthe explicit and shocking storytellingEuphoriaand Levinson would come to be known for. The show anointed the next generation of movie stars, including Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and Zendaya. Season 2 came out in 2022, but since then, there’s been a long delay for season 3.
Just becauseEuphoriaseason 3 has been delayed does not mean Levinson hasn’t been working, however. In 2023, Levinson releasedThe Idol, and ifEuphoriacarefully straddled the line between deep, thoughtful stories and exploitation,The Idolcompletely fell off it into a WTF mess. Beyond being a critical bomb, with a 19% onRotten Tomatoes,The Idolalso seems to have taken Levinson away from working onEuphoriaseason 3.His dueling commitments seem to have angeredEuphoriastar Zendaya, which may be why the show’s been delayed.
6 Reasons Euphoria Season 3 Might Not Happen
Euphoria was renewed in 2022, yet season 3 is still nowhere in sight, making many wonder whether the next installment will happen at all.
How Much Is The Sam Levinson-Zendaya Feud Responsible For Euphoria Season 3’s Delays?
Zendaya Became Frustrated When Levinson Focused On The Idol
There’s a lot of rumor and speculation surrounding the Sam Levinson-Zendaya feud and little of it has been confirmed. According toTHR, the problems Zendaya had withLevinson began when he suddenly pivoted toThe Idolwhile he was supposed to be working onEuphoriaseason 3,a season that Zendaya had hoped she would have the chance to direct episodes in. Zendaya went to HBO chief Casey Bloys and head of drama Francesca Orsi to investigate and air her concerns.
HBO has not confirmed that any of these issues are the reason for the delays and there are plenty of other reasons why the show could be delayed.
AfterThe Idol, Zendaya, Levinson, Bloys and Orsi all met again in hopes of smoothing over the relationship. According to a source at HBO, things just got worse,
“[Zenday and Levinson] went from being so close, and they couldn’t fix it.”
HBO has not confirmed that any of these issues are the reason for the delays and there are plenty of other reasons why the show could be delayed. Rewrites are a very common process for any major television show, and it could be that Levinson and his crew are struggling to figure out what the next steps of the show could be.
Budgetary constraints could also be an issue. HBO had a massive merger with Warner Bros. that only finalized in April 2022. There may be more financial issues at play than the public is privy to. The 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes didn’t help matters, either.
Ultimately, the fact remains that, considering howEuphoriaseason 2 ended,fans aren’t clamoring for the show the same way they were at the end of season 1. The finale was the lowest-rated episode of season 2 onRotten Tomatoes, so maybe it’s good the series takes some time to figure out what season 3 will look like.
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Euphoria Season 3 Is Still Set To Return
Filming Is Set To Begin In January 2025
Whatever the rumor mill says,Euphoriaseason 3 is still on the upcoming slate of showsfor HBO. The series is set to begin filming in January 2025, though no official release schedule has been announced. Most of the cast is expected to return, withBloys himself confirming that Zendaya would return to the show. Dominic Fike said he would, “Absolutely”, return for season 3 (viaNME). Sydney Sweeney is not confirmed to return yet, but she toldTHR, she was hopeful she’d get to play Cassie again,
“Cassie truly is a dream to play and as an actor, I’m so fortunate that I’ve had a character like her at such a young age. And, of course, I wanna keep living her crazy. I love it.”
Ali actor Colman Domingo is also expected to return toEuphoriaand in February 2024, he defended Levinson in aGQprofile, saying,
“There’s no one that’s going to mistreat you on the set of Euphoria. Sam Levinson is joyful, and collaborative, and could not be a bigger advocate for his actors.”
While this all sounds like hopeful news forEuphoriaseason 3, it will still be a while until anyone can confidently claim the series is on its way.
Euphoria
Cast
Euphoria is a teen drama created by Sam Levinson and starring Zendaya, Maude Apatow, and Angus Cloud. The series deals with the dark reality of a drug-addicted teen on her road to recovery as she faces a multitude of challenges and issues.
