Are the 'Euphoria' Kids Off to College? Here's Everything We Know About Season 3
Reports confirm that the show's filming is delayed once again, yet there's still hope for a 2025 release date. Here's everything we know about the upcoming season of the iconic HBO series.
Euphoria's Season 2 came to an end in 2022, and nearly two years later fans are patiently waiting for the story's next installment. After an emotional, dramatic, and shocking second season, there are so many questions that Euphoria fans still need answered. Where did Nate go at the end of Episode 8? What happens to Fez's character? Who's the missing Jacobs brother? Will the season be released by the end of this year? These are only a few of the ruminating questions that fans are sharing on social media following recent updates about the show. Though the show's third season was confirmed via Instagram post back in February 2022, an exact release date has not been confirmed yet, here's everything we know so far about the upcoming season.
Release Date
As far as the release of Season 3, an official date has not been set. Given that Season 2 was pushed back due to COVID-19 delays, there was speculation that we'd be getting Season 3 in late 2023 or 2024. However, following the SAG-AFTRA and screenwriter's strike, it's unlikely the third season will be released this year. Meaning the release date has most likely been pushed to 2025.
In March 2024, Variety reported that shooting for Season 3 has been delayed yet again, as scripts for the latest season are still being written and the plot is still being developed. This information comes after circulated rumors of the show facing cancellation. However, Sam Levinson states that he remains committed to creating an "exceptional third season." The targeted release date is still scheduled for 2025, but a HBO spokesperson expressed that, for the time being, the principle cast is encouraged to seek other opportunities.
“In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Cast
As of now, most of the main cast will be returning for Season 3. After rumors that Zendaya's character was going to be killed off in Season 2 started circulating, Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer at HBO, shut them down by saying the star would be returning to the new season, and that "it's hard to imagine doing [the] show without her."
Rue, Jules, Elliot, Cassie, Nate, Maddy, and Lexi will be returning to our screens to entertain us with their problematic antics. As will Gia, Rue's younger sister, and Ethan, Kat's former love interest. On August 24, Barbie Ferreira announced on her Instagram story that she would not be returning as Kat in Season 3. The story read "after four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character kat, I'm having to say a very teary eyed goodbye. 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." Fans are wondering if the rumors that circulated last season of Ferriera and creator Sam Levinson's disagreements on the character's arc could have some truth behind them.
It's also unclear if Elliot's character will be returning to the series as Dominic Fike has expressed his detachment from the cast and the show. “I don’t really talk to them anymore, ” said Fike to Variety when asked if he'll be returning.
Following the tragic passing of Angus Cloud who played Fez. Fans and cast members mourned the loss of the late actor. With Fez and Ashtray's already tragic ending during Season 2, it's unclear how the new season will handle the loss of the kind-hearted Fez. Faye (Chloe Cherry) may also not return for Season 3 as she was arrested during the raid at Fez's house.
What to Expect
While it's hard to predict what Sam Levinson will bring to the new season, fans have a few guesses up their sleeves. For a quick recap, we ended Season 2 with Fez getting arrested, Maddy telling Cassie that this is "just the beginning" (which could be referring to so many different things), Rue saying that she forgave Jules and stayed sober for the rest of the school year, Nate having his father Cal arrested, our beloved Ashtray dying (maybe), and Lexi finishing her play without finding out what happened to Fez.
With all that information in mind, there are so many questions we have going into Season 3. Will Maddy and Cassie ever make up? Will Rue stay sober? Are Jules and Elliot the next Euphoria couple? What will happen to Fez's character? What's going to happen to the Jacobs family now that Cal's been outed? Will we finally get to meet the last Jacobs brother? Will Lexi put on another play?
While we have so many questions, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Zendaya gave fans a golden nugget of information—the characters might be off to college. "I think it’ll be exciting to explore the characters out of high school," said Zendaya. "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."
She continued, "What was special about this season 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."
While we won't know the answers to any of these questions any time soon, we can only look to the past seasons for comfort while we await the new chapter of Euphoria.
Adding to a report of an additional delay in filming, Variety mentions the rumors surrounding the latest season taking place in the future, and due to the long time gap between the release of the second and third seasons, that may very well be the case. In a January appearance with Jimmy Fallon, Jacob Elordi even joked that the third season would have to take place in the future. The actor quips that otherwise it would “seem like a weird bit." Elordi makes a good point as actors, like anyone else, do age, and the cast may not be able to pull off playing high schoolers for much longer.
Will there be a fourth season?
As of right now, there are no confirmed reports of a fourth season. Zendaya's desire to develop the characters past high school may suggest so. With Season 3's release being pushed back to 2025, the actors may age out playing young high schoolers soon making Season 4's possibility doubtful. Nevertheless, Sam Levinson may just work out the kinks to make it work, we will have to wait and see. For now, let's hope to get a trailer later this year for a glimpse at the next chapter.