Euphoria Season 3: Everything We Know So Far

HBO’s hit drama Euphoria is officially returning for a third season, continuing its exploration of addiction, identity, power, and consequence through the lives of Rue, Jules, and the rest of its fractured ensemble. Since debuting in 2019, Sam Levinson’s TV series has become one of the network’s defining modern dramas, with Variety confirming it as HBO’s second-most-watched show in the network’s history, second only to Game of Thrones.

Led by Zendaya, the Emmy-winning series follows Rue Bennet, a young woman grappling with addiction, grief, and relationships that often do more harm than good. Following the success of season two, HBO confirmed the show would return for a third chapter.

Initial Euphoria Season 3 Confirmation

In February 2022, HBO officially renewed Euphoria for season three, following a season two premiere that drew more than 14 million viewers. Created by Sam Levinson, the series quickly established itself as a cultural force, praised for its visual ambition and divisive storytelling choices.

The series centres on Zendaya’s breakout character, Rue, a high school student from previous seasons who struggles with relapse and the intricacies of modern life outside the classroom. Throw in a troubling relationship with Hunter Schafer’s Jules and a host of extraverted, albeit challenging characters, and you’ve got a recipe for prime time success.

At the time, Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, said the creative team had taken the series “to extraordinary heights”, continuing to challenge narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart.” Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said.

“We couldn’t be more honoured to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into season three,” she added.

Euphoria Season 3 Production Update

Despite the early renewal, season three faced significant delays. Filming was postponed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, as well as the increasingly busy schedules of its now-in-demand cast. Between Zendaya and Sweeney, there’s a lot of star power to contend with.

HBO content chief Casey Bloys confirmed in late 2023 that Euphoria would return alongside other flagship series, including The White Lotus (check out the French Rivereira hotel confirmed for season 4) and The Last of Us.

Following the conclusion of the strikes, HBO confirmed it was expediting production on several major titles. After years of uncertainty, the release window for Euphoria season three has now been clarified.

The First Season 3 Trailer Confirms a Darker, Older Euphoria

HBO has released the first official trailer for Euphoria season three, and it confirms a major shift in both setting and tone. The series jumps five years forward, leaving high school behind and placing its characters firmly into adulthood.

The trailer presents older, more entrenched versions of the cast, with consequences that feel permanent rather than performative. Zendaya’s Rue is shown entangled with drug dealers once again, including the return of Martha Kelly, but she appears less frantic and more worn down than before. Addiction here is framed as routine rather than dramatic.

Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie is teased as a cam girl while married to Jacob Elordi’s Nate, with their relationship appearing colder and more transactional than in season two. Nate remains positioned as a controlling presence rather than a redeemed one.

Hunter Schafer’s Jules is briefly shown becoming a sugar baby, framed less as rebellion and more as survival. Visually, the trailer leans into a slower, more deliberate kind of chaos, aligning with the season’s official logline, which explores faith, redemption, and the problem of evil.

Season three premieres on 12 April.

Euphoria Cancelled Rumours

Speculation surrounding the future of Euphoria intensified in 2023 as production delays mounted and cast members pursued other projects. The rumours got so intense that even actress Nika King, who plays Rue’s mother, Leslie, took to the stand-up stage to proclaim her uncertainty.

“Don’t ask me (when season 3 is coming out). I don’t f—ing know,” she said in footage from the event posted on her TikTok account. “People are like, ‘We need season 3,’ and I’m like, bitch, I need season 3! I haven’t paid my rent in six months.”

HBO later denied rumours that the series had been cancelled, confirming that scripts were still in development and that the network remained committed to the show. And with the release of the first trailer, we can finally put the rumours to rest.

Euphoria Season 3 Expected Cast

While HBO has not released a full cast list, several familiar faces are expected to return in season three, including:

• Zendaya as Rue Bennett
• Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn
• Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs
• Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard
• Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez
• Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard
• Colman Domingo as Ali

Newcomers this season include Sharon Stone and Rosalía. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer has also joined the series for season three.

However, not everyone is set to return next season. Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat in the series, had her character’s role reduced in season two and surprised fans by announcing in August 2022 that she would not return for season three.

Ferreira said that she felt Kat’s storyline had “run her course, story-wise.” Another character who might not get any screen time in the upcoming season is Ashtray, played by Javon “Wanna” Walton. While Ashtray’s fate remains uncertain after the season two finale, Walton has hinted that there are “little things that could potentially bring him back for another season.”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Javon discussed the fate of his character, saying, “Well, you see (Fez) get arrested, so I’m sure he is going to be in the back of a cop car. And with Ashtray, we’re not 100 per cent if he’s dead, because you saw absolutely no blood, right? And you didn’t see him fall. You did hear the bullet, but you didn’t see him get shot. So, there are little things that could potentially bring him back for another season.”

And in a deeply saddening turn of events, the tragic passing of Angus Cloud, the actor who played Fezco, in July this year, further complicates matters. Cloud’s death has left a profound impact on the cast and crew of Euphoria, and it remains to be seen how the show will address Fezco’s absence in Season 3.

What the Cast, Creator and Crew Have To Say About Season 3

While plot details remain tightly guarded, creator Sam Levinson and several cast members have offered useful insight into the direction of season three. In an Elle cover story with Zendaya, Levinson described the new season as a “film noir” exploration of morality, focused on “what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.” That framing places Rue firmly at the centre, but with a broader, more adult lens than previous seasons.

Zendaya has repeatedly expressed enthusiasm for taking the characters beyond high school, a direction now confirmed by the five-year time jump. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said, “I think it’ll be exciting to explore the characters out of high school,” before expanding on what that means for Rue specifically. “I want to see what Rue looks like in her sobriety journey, how chaotic that might look,” she said. “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 later reinforced that idea, describing season three as an opportunity to push the characters deeper rather than wider. “There’s so much talent, you want to make sure everybody has the chance to have that,” Zendaya said, hinting at a more layered, ensemble-driven approach.

Colman Domingo, who plays Rue’s sponsor Ali, has also suggested that season three won’t play it safe. Speaking to Deadline, Domingo said Levinson is planning “big swings” in both structure and character arcs. “It’s an organism, and he wants it to keep shifting,” Domingo explained. “Once there’s an expectation of the show, he wants to smash that expectation.”

Zendaya echoed that sentiment when discussing her ongoing collaboration with Levinson behind the scenes. “He’s someone who, once there’s an expectation of the show, wants to smash that,” she said. “Let’s not rely on what worked before. Let’s go deeper with these characters and get to the human heart.”

For Sydney Sweeney, season three represents a chance to lean further into Cassie’s darker edges. Speaking in April 2022, Sweeney said she was interested in exploring a version of Cassie that’s “more evil and dark and serious, and not so frantic.” Rather than viewing Cassie as a villain, she framed the character as “a really fragile, damaged girl,” whose complexity is still unfolding.

Meanwhile, Storm Reid, who plays Rue’s younger sister, Gia, has expressed her hopes for a tonal shift in her character’s journey. In an interview with ScreenRant, Reid said she’d like season three to be “a little less heartbreaking,” adding that she hopes viewers get “more levity, more joy, more grace” alongside the show’s heavier themes.

Where to Watch Euphoria?

In Australia, Euphoria streams on BINGE via Foxtel. In the United States, the series is available on Max. Seasons one and two are currently available to stream.