Euphoria, while unequivocally popular, has encountered significant delays ahead of Season 3. Variety reports that filming will happen as late as 2025, due to creative hangups with showrunner, Sam Levinson. Initially, the provocative teen drama was delayed due to the dual Hollywood strike of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA. But now that production has commenced again, Levinson has been greeted by pushback from the network on where to go with Season 3.
The Euphoria creator has reported that plans for the next season included a time jump to take the characters out of high school. Levinson stated that ideas revolved around leaning into a film noir vibe set in a corrupt world, but other details were kept under wraps. Since then, Max has stated that while invested in Season 3 of the series, the network has encouraged their actors to pursue other jobs in the meantime. This fact doesn’t bode well for the series and has led many to conclude the show is dead in the water.
Variety’s recent report indicates that’s not the case, but some severe creative hangups have stopped the series from moving forward promptly. After Levinson submitted scripts that featured Rue (Zendaya) as a private investigator, Max was less than impressed with the show’s direction. Sources reported that Levinson is forging ahead with new ideas for the season and new scripts. The deciding factor for the future of Euphoria is quality. Levinson will have to turn in scripts that the network and the actors are happy with for the show to continue. This is a different tactic than with his previous series, The Idol, which had been divisive, to say the least, and was quickly axed by Max. Only when the material is satisfactory will viewers see Euphoria Season 3.
Will Zendaya be in Season 3 of ‘Euphoria’?
Another hangup with the series is the rising star of its actors. Since the conclusion of Season 2, Zendaya has exploded on the big screen. This can partially be attributed to her status as a featured character in Dune: Part Two as Chani of the Fremen people. A juxtaposition from the many-named dictator Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), Chani is the heart of the film.
The actor also has a new anticipated film, Challengers, on deck, as well as the potential for Spider-Man 4. The Emmy Award winner has become a juggernaut of a performer, and Euphoria Season 3 may pale in comparison to her impressive career. Other stars, such as Sydney Sweeney, have excelled with dark roles, while Jacob Elordi has seen success with Saltburn and Priscilla.
These factors may lead to Zendaya not being a main feature in Season 3 at all. The Dune actor has suggested storylines herself, including ideas of a sober Rue becoming a pregnancy surrogate. Max was not inclined to accept this idea because it was not consistent with previous seasons’ tone. Max also denied Levinson’s suggestion of relegating Rue to more of a background character in the film noir angle, but it doesn’t indicate good news for the future of the show.
At its core, Euphoria is Rue’s story. The show is at its best when focused on Zendaya’s incredible acting prowess as in Rue and Gia’s (Storm Reid) fight in Season 2. If Zendaya has become too big for the series, it could mean that the show is on borrowed time. As of now, Euphoria is still receiving support from the network. But following the tragic passing of Angus Cloud and other considerations, shooting in 2025 is the best that fans can hope for. Seasons 1 and 2 of Euphoria are streaming on Max.
via Collider