Posted in: HBO, Movies, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: euphoria, zendaya

Euphoria: Could Zendaya's Good News Be Bad News for Season 3?

Zendaya has reportedly joined Christopher Nolan's new film, expected to film in early 2025. Could that be bad news for Euphoria Season 3?

It was Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, who threw down the gauntlet back in September when offering an update on how things were going with the third season of Sam Levinson's Zendaya and Hunter Schafer-starring Euphoria. Work was set to get underway in "mid-January" 2025 – with main cast members (Zendaya, Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, and others) set to return. "I don't know the exact date [for the show's return], but I will tell you that we've been working with [creator] Sam [Levinson]. I've been very pleased with the scripts that we're getting. Our plan was to shoot starting in mid-January, and that's still on track," Bloys shared. While that was good news at the time, the "mid-January" 2025 time frame is now raising some questions in light of some big casting news that hit earlier today.

Though there hasn't been an official confirmation, the entertainment press went live with reports that Zendaya and Anne Hathaway have joined Matt Damon and Tom Holland in the cast of Christopher Nolan's new film. With the film set to have an IMAX release on July 17, 2026, filming is expected to get underway in "early 2025." You see the potential issue there, right? Let's get the obvious out of the way first. Since we don't have finalized intel on Euphoria Season 3, it's quite possible that Zendaya could go from filming the HBO series directly to Nolan's film – and it's not like filming overlaps can't be accommodated. The worst-case scenarios from a pure speculation standpoint? It's possible that Nolan's film could push back filming on Euphoria until later in 2025. The news could signal that filming on the third season may not be as ready to go for January 2025 as first thought. And then there's the ultimate worst-case scenario – that the series doesn't return – but we're not buying into that one.

Euphoria Season 3: Previous Updates

In October, Zendaya shared some thoughts on the season's five-year time jump during a wide-ranging interview with Entertainment Weekly's The Awardist podcast (which you can listen to below). "I don't actually know much about what is happening. I don't quite know exactly what the season is going to look like, but I do know that the time jump is happening," Zendaya shared. "It's important because there's only so much high school drama you can deal with," she explained, adding sarcastically, "'And then she cheats on her boyfriend again!'"

Though not able to offer specific details, Zendaya sees the possibilities that open up for the characters now that they've moved beyond the parameters of high school. "It will be fascinating to see and understand these characters outside of the context of high school and how all the stuff that we saw when they were kids and they were in high school affects the adulthood they have and who they become in a much bigger world," she explained. "I'll be interested to see what happens, too."

Speaking with PEOPLE in September while promoting her partnership with show brand HEYDUDE earlier this month, Sweeney (Cassie) shared how she's feeling about returning to set as time nears. "I'm very excited to jump back into Cassie. She is definitely one of the most special characters for me, and I love my 'Euphoria' family, so I look forward to it," Sweeney shared. As for what she would like to see for her character during the new season, Sweeney adds that whatever it is, she hopes it dials up the "crazy Cassie" factor. "I love crazy Cassie, so the crazier, the better for me," she said. As for any specifics she might have on Season 3, Sweeney is either in the same place that Schafer shared she was in last month (more on that below) when it comes to details or looking to lay low to avoid spoilers (like news of the time jump): "Honestly, I don't know anything about it."

Back in August, Schafer revealed on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she had "no fucking idea what's going on" with the third season. "You can ask literally all of the cast. The real tea is that a lot has happened," Schafer added. In terms of the show, the cast and creative team were hit with two tragic losses between seasons – co-star Angus Cloud and producer Kevin Turen. "I think everyone feels a certain sense of anticipation for if we are supposed to do Season 3. Obviously, I'm still coming to qualms about what's happened and losing people that we really loved and were a part of this family and everything. If we do go back, that's going to be tough," she explained. "I think there's a world in which we can channel that into making it a beautiful Season 3 — if it is supposed to happen, but I think that shit really threw everyone for a loop."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!