Euphoria Postponed Indefinitely—Here’s Why
During its two-season run, the Sam Levinson-created drama Euphoria launched its breakout cast into superstardom. Zendaya alone has taken home not one but TWO Emmy wins and countless other awards.
Despite the show’s success, it may be a hot minute before production begins for season three. As most of the crew have attention-grabbing projects lined up, it has become difficult to coordinate production schedules, halting filming indefinitely.
Last year’s actors and writer’s strikes caused further delays while the deaths of Angus Cloud (Fezco) and Kevin Turen (television producer) also slowed down Levisons’s creative pursuit.
In addition, several different creative visions are reportedly stalling production.
Levinson initially pitched a five-year time jump between seasons, a storyline that has Zendaya’s Rue taking a backseat. It’s been suggested that her character would now be working as a private investigator, offering meaty, “very compelling” arcs for Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi’s characters. Unfortunately, the idea “didn’t pass muster” with Zendaya who is reported to have offered “significant input” and suggested a vision where Rue, now a sober woman, becomes a pregnancy surrogate.
Ultimately, HBO wasn’t satisfied with any of the pitches. The television network felt that the proposed concepts didn’t match the show tonally. This has given Levinson plenty of opportunities to revisit his drawing board and finish the scripts.
Rest assured, the show will move on and have a third season.
Given all the creative disagreements, an HBO spokesperson told Variety, “HBO and Sam Levinson remain committed to making an exceptional third season. In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities.”
HBO has not released its high-wattage cast from their contracts and has promised to come back to them in October, with intentions to begin shooting in 2025.
The lengthy period between seasons has been widely ridiculed. The years-long gap has resulted in the actors progressively aging—a matter addressed by Jacob Elordi at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January. He said he assumed the upcoming third season may jump forward in time, a stark change from the immediate succession of the storyline in the first two parts.
“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?”, the actor who plays the antagonistic jock Nate Jacobs cheekily continued.
Some believe that Zendaya’s work on Challengers, the sports comedy slash love triangle, will ultimately determine Euphoria’s fate. And this could be true, considering that she has been juggling multiple commitments.
Zendaya has been one of the show’s most successful stars. She recently reprised her role in the sequel of Dune, which minted $367 million as of March. She is also set to star in and produce Challengers.
Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney, aka the promiscuous Cassie Howard, dazzled in the romantic comedy Anyone but You. Hunter Schafer, on the other hand, featured in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Jacob Elordi, who was one of the leads in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn is currently shooting Guillermo del Toro’s big-budget Frankenstein film in Toronto.
