--- description: After a three-year hiatus, the hit HBO series "Euphoria" is ramping up production early next year. Here's why it took so long. title: Euphoria Sets Date to Film Season 3. Here’s Why It’s Delayed image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9da3bc1d6e9b3c0/698a58aab3fce3409b0cd5ce/zendaya_1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Euphoria_ Finally Confirms Plans for Season 3 Production. Here’s Why It’s Taken So Long  by [Moises Mendez](/author/moises-mendez-ii/)  ## Moises Mendez Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 12, 2024 9:10 PM CUT  Zendaya as Rue in "Euphoria" Zendaya as Rue in "Euphoria"Eddy Chen/HBO  by [Moises Mendez](/author/moises-mendez-ii/)  ## Moises Mendez Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 12, 2024 9:10 PM CUT [_Euphoria_ fans](https://time.com/5917975/euphoria-makeup-fashion/ "undefined") have long awaited the return of the hit HBO series. According to [the Hollywood _Reporter_](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/euphoria-season-3-filming-2025-1235947306/ "undefined"), the show is finally on its way back. On July 12, the publication reported that the show is gearing up to start production again in January 2025, three years after the [second season](https://time.com/6152502/euphoria-hbo-teenage-drug-use/ "undefined") premiered. Additionally, the majority of the main cast members are set to return after reaching new heights in their careers since they last appeared on the series. Hunter Schafer, Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney are all poised to come back to the show that helped launch their careers. It’s unclear exactly when the show will be returning to television screens. Earlier this year, there was hope that it might return next year, sources close to the situation told [_THR_](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/behind-euphoria-season-3-delay-where-show-goes-after-high-school-1235859780/ "undefined"). But the show was put on hold indefinitely. [_THR_](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/behind-euphoria-season-3-delay-where-show-goes-after-high-school-1235859780/ "undefined") reported that the new season will most likely have a time jump into the future and show the characters after high school. It’s unusual for a wildly popular show like _Euphoria_ to have this much time between seasons, especially after being [renewed ](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-renews-euphoria-season-3-1235087262/ "undefined")during the run of a previous season. However, the production was up against multiple obstacles. Here is everything that might have played a role in delaying production on the hit television show. ## **The writers and actors strikes** Hollywood saw a historic dual strike last summer, with the Writers Guild of America and [SAG-AFTRA calling for a ](https://time.com/6294212/sag-aftra-actors-strike/ "undefined")work stoppage to gain better protections and working conditions for unionized members. The two unions fought for a fair deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and members paused their work for struck companies until their contract was ratified. Though _Euphoria_ wasn’t filming at the time, it’s fair to say that the strikes certainly did not bring a new season any closer. ## **The actors finding major success outside of the show** The principal cast have become major movie stars in their own right following the second season of _Euphoria_. Zendaya is one of the most in-demand movie stars in Hollywood right now after nabbing her first Emmy in 2020 for her work as the lead actress on the show. Since then, her name is rarely left out of any conversation about the new Hollywood A-list. She’s been in both _Dune_ movies, starred in Luca Guadagnino’s zeitgeisty _Challengers_, and become a burgeoning fashion icon and red-carpet mainstay. Another major fashion it-girl, Hunter Schafer began making her foray into movies as well, appearing in the latest addition to the _Hunger Games_ franchise and Yorgos Lanthimos’ _Kinds of Kindness_, with a horror movie, _Cuckoo_, due in August. Sydney Sweeney found success with the playful rom-com _Anyone But You_, starring opposite Glen Powell, and Jacob Elordi became a leading man in Emerald Fennell’s _Saltburn_ and played Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s _Priscilla_. ## **Angus Cloud’s death** Cloud, who played Fezco, [died of an accidental drug overdose](https://time.com/6299974/angus-cloud-dies-at-25/ "undefined") in July 2023\. The star had struggled with drug addiction and was said to have been supported by _Euphoria_ creator Sam Levinson and the team at HBO. Levinson told _People_ that he encouraged Cloud to go to rehab. “I just said to him, ‘I love working with you and we’ve got this amazing season planned and stuff, but I need you to be sober because I got to be able to rely on you,’” he [says in the interview](https://people.com/euphoria-angus-cloud-mom-loved-ones-share-final-days-addiction-struggles-exclusive-7973158 "undefined"). He says that HBO paid for his rehab treatment. Losing one of its key cast members, in addition to taking an heavy emotional toll on the cast and crew, clearly presented new challenges for formulating how the story would continue. ## **Controversy on set of** **_The Idol_** Back in March of 2023, _The Idol_, another HBO show that Levinson created in the wake of _Euphoria_’s success, became [embroiled in controversy](https://time.com/6259919/the-idol-hbo-sam-levinson-controversy/ "undefined"). _Rolling Stone_ published an[ investigative exposé](https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/the-idol-hbo-next-euphoria-torture-porn-the-weeknd-sam-levinson-lily-rose-depp-blackpink-jennie-1234688754/ "undefined") into the making of _The Idol_, which starred Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd. According to the publication, the show was originally set to be a feminist commentary on the trappings and pitfalls of the entertainment industry. It was originally helmed by Amy Seimetz, who then left due to conflicting contractual obligations. Levinson overhauled the show, which became, according to one source from the story, a “rape fantasy.” The show “went from satire to the thing it was satirizing,” they claimed. (And [many critics ultimately agreed](https://time.com/6281900/the-idol-review-hbo/ "undefined") with that assessment.) One source blamed The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, for wanting to “tone down the cult aspect of the storyline and pivot into something else entirely, dropping the ‘feminist lens’ through which the show was being told as a result.” According to _Rolling Stone_, Levinson’s version of the show was more disturbing than the original. There were more sexually graphic scenes that were described as “sexual torture porn.” Though Tesfaye seemed unbothered by the criticism, the response to the show was no better than the criticism leading up to it. ## **Barbie Ferreira's supposed fallout with Levinson** An alleged feud between Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez, and Levinson, also loomed over _Euphoria_. In August 2022, Ferreira announced that she [would not be returning ](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/barbie-ferreira-leaves-euphoria-1235350078/ "undefined")for a third season. This came after rumors that she walked off set during the filming of the show after she got into an argument with Levinson. During an interview on Dax Shepard’s _Armchair Expert_ podcast, she shut down the rumors and said she did not walk off set but did sprain her ankle and needed to get an x-ray. However, she said the decision for her to leave the series was mutual because both she and Levinson felt there wasn’t anywhere else her story could go. “I think there were places she could have gone. I just don’t think it would have fit into the show. I don’t know if it was going to do her justice, and I think both parties knew that,” she said on the podcast. “I really wanted to be able to not be the fat best friend. I don’t want to play that, and I think they didn’t want that either.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6998032/euphoria-season-3-delays/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6998032/euphoria-season-3-delays/"},"headline":"Euphoria Finally Confirms Plans for Season 3 Production. Here’s Why It’s Taken So Long","datePublished":"2024-07-12T21:10:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T17:56:15.572Z","description":"After a three year hiatus, the hit HBO series \"Euphoria\" is ramping up production early next year. Here's why it took so long.","url":"https://time.com/6998032/euphoria-season-3-delays/","keywords":["Television","Explainer","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9da3bc1d6e9b3c0/698a58aab3fce3409b0cd5ce/zendaya_1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Moises Mendez","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/moises-mendez-ii/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9da3bc1d6e9b3c0/698a58aab3fce3409b0cd5ce/zendaya_1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Zendaya Euphoria","caption":"Zendaya as Rue in \"Euphoria\"","creditText":"Eddy Chen/HBO","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6998032/euphoria-season-3-delays/","name":"Euphoria Finally Confirms Plans for Season 3 Production. Here’s Why It’s Taken So Long"}}]}] ```