A flagship show with nine Emmy wins to date from 25 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2022, HBO has been desperate for more of their critically acclaimed hit “Euphoria.” However, as showrunner Sam Levinson has taken detours (like 2023’s poorly received and canceled “The Idol”), the much-anticipated series was pushed to 2025. Now, amid new rumors that the third season would be scrapped entirely, HBO tells Variety that the series is still in the works and the show is still alive; however, its shooting schedule has been delayed again.
“HBO and Sam Levinson remain committed to making an exceptional third season,” an HBO spokesperson told Variety about the show’s status. In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities.”
Season three is still being written, but with HBO admitting they’re letting the cast pursue other acting jobs, it doesn’t sound like the series will shoot soon and is thus likely not ready for 2025.
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With a cast mostly made up of rising talent such as Zendaya (“Dune: Part Two”), Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”), Sydney Sweeney (“Barbarella”), and Hunter Schafer (“Cuckoo”), there had already been speculation that HBO would have trouble scheduling season three. An actor like Zendaya is arguably the biggest name on the call sheet and is spreading her wings as a film star with box office hits like the latest “Dune” sequel.
Everyone involved with the show is still mourning the death of co-star Angus Cloud, who was in the role of local drug dealer Fez and died last July.
After the disastrous Levinson show, “The Idol,” HBO’s working relationship with the “Euphoria” creator could have been reevaluated. But that doesn’t seem to be happening, as the spokesperson from HBO indicates that Levinson will still be involved and that scripts are still being written. It’s unclear if this will be the final season, but given the meteoric rise of the aforementioned cast and the difficulties of getting them all together in one place, don’t be surprised if HBO is forced to call it quits after this.
Season 2 debuted in January 2022, and even 2025 would have been a three-year gap between seasons. In January, in an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Elordi joked that season three would have to take place in the future. Otherwise, it would “seem like a weird bit,” given the cast is meant to be high schoolers. “I hope it’s soon, or they’re going to have to Benjamin Button me or something,” he said. “I’m going to have a bad back walking down the hallway, you know?”