Euphoria season 3: Release date speculation, cast and latest news

Now, star Storm Reid (who plays Gia in the teen drama) has spoken out, saying she is "a little disappointed" but "not surprised" by the delays (according to Variety).

"I think we should handle the show with care. We’ve put our hearts and soul into it," Reid added.

The news comes only shortly after Cassie star Sydney Sweeney suggested she would be back on the set of Euphoria in the next few weeks.

“I go into Euphoria,” she told MTV in a video interview, teasing she has "maybe" seen new scripts.

"It's like home when I go back to it. I like it," she continued. "I'm excited. It's like family."

However, it seems there will be a further wait for Sydney and the show's fans.

Showrunner Sam Levinson previously teased a new format for the upcoming season, revealing that it will be structured like a noir movie through the eyes of Rue Bennett (Zendaya).

Speaking to Elle, he explained he hopes to "explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world".

Speaking about Zendaya, he added that she’s “the most competitive person I know, in a good way. She's constantly growing as an artist and always seeking a challenge. She's never complacent".

Alongside Zendaya, we can expect other Euphoria regulars such as Hunter Schafer (Jules), Jacob Elordi (Nate), Alexa Demie (Maddy), Algee Smith (Chris), Sydney Sweeney (Cassie), Maude Apatow (Lexi) and Dominic Fike (Elliot) to return for the next instalment.

Not all fan-favourite characters will be returning, however, following the tragic death of Angus Cloud, who played Fez in the show, back in July 2023.

Prior to his passing, Cloud had expressed excitement about his future on the show.

"I can't wait to get back to work with everyone. I feel like it's been way too long. I just can't wait to see everyone and working on set again," Cloud told E! News, before adding that he "definitely [wasn't] sure what to expect" for his character’s storyline after.

"Knowing [creator] Sam Levinson, it will be good," he said.

Cast and crew paid tribute to the late actor, with the official Euphoria Twitter (recently rebranded as X) account posting a statement on their official social: "We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time."

Zendaya also commemorated the passing of co-star Cloud, who she lovingly described as her "brother".

"Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor)," the actor wrote on Instagram. "I'll cherish every moment. My heart is with his mother and family at this time and please be kind and patient as grief looks different for everyone".

Long-term cast member Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat in the series, will also not be returning for the upcoming third season.

“After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character, Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye," she wrote in an Instagram story, alongside a photo of fan art made by her co-star Hunter Schafer.

Want to know more? Here's everything we know so far about Euphoria season 3.

**Spoiler warning for Euphoria season 2 episode 8**

Euphoria season 3 release date speculation

Euphoria season 3 has been slated for 2025, HBO boss Casey Bloys announced at a press event back in November 2023, as reported by Deadline.

However, it now appears that the acclaimed HBO teen drama is running behind schedule.

Following rumours that the show had been axed altogether, HBO told Variety the series has been delayed, with scripts still being written and the cast free to pursue other projects in the interim.

So, we have quite a wait on our hands for a third season of Euphoria.

HBO announced at the beginning of February 2022 that Euphoria would be back for season 3.

"Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP of HBO Programming. "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 3."

As for the future of the show, it's currently unclear whether season 3 will be Euphoria's last – in fact, HBO executives aren't even sure at this point.

"I will let [executive producer] Sam [Levinson] and Zendaya talk about [that]," Casey Bloys, chief content officer at HBO, told TVLine.

"I’m very excited about what they’ve got planned [for season 3]. So I will leave that to them. I will say, generally speaking, we trust where they want to take these characters. So we’ll let the creative team lead the way."

Euphoria season 3 cast: Who's returning?

The following cast members have been confirmed for Euphoria season 3.

• Zendaya as Rue Bennett
• Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs
• Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard
• Dominic Fike as Elliot
• Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard

We would also expect returns for the following stars:

• Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn
• Nika King as Leslie Bennett
• Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs
• Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez
• Storm Reid as Gia Bennett
• Austin Abrams as Ethan Daley
• Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed

While it's not entirely clear who will be back for season 3 of Euphoria, we do know that Zendaya will be reprising her role of Rue, with Bloys telling TVLine: "She's going to be in season 3."

In fact, we can't see Zendaya leaving the show anytime soon, with Bloys adding: "It’s hard to imagine doing [the] show without her."

But eventually, her time on the show will come to an end.

"From a character perspective, I want to find things that will push me," she told Elle. "As I get older, you know, I can't play a teenager for the rest of my life."

We also know that Dominic Fike will be back in season 3 as Elliot, with the singer and actor telling The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that he would "absolutely" be back.

Sydney Sweeney also confirmed her return for the third season when she discussed her hopes for her character in a chat with Cosmopolitan.

Sweeney said: "I can only imagine where she’s going to go next season. As an actor, I love being able to go to places that might be deep for characters, because you unlock different parts of them that you didn’t know before. I love discovering different parts of Cassie.

"Season 2 was so different [to season one] because last season Cassie was so confident and on this path of self-love and self-worth."

Meanwhile, Eric Dane also confirmed his involvement in the series when he discussed returning to filming.

Dane told Variety: "There’s gonna be redemption. I mean, that’s the trajectory he’s on. I can’t imagine Cal’s life from solitary confinement. It’s tough to work Cal into the storyline when he’s behind bars."

The actor also revealed he hopes that Cal and Nate can (somehow) mend their relationship.

As for the rest of the cast, we're likely to see Hunter Schafer (Jules Vaughn), Alexa Demie (Maddy Perez), Maude Apatow (Lexi Howard), Jacob Elordi (Nate Jacobs), Storm Reid (Gia Bennett), Colman Domingo (Ali Muhammed), Austin Abrams (Ethan Daley) and Nika King (Leslie Bennett) return for season 3.

But it remains to be seen if they will find a way to incorporate Angus Cloud into the third season through pre-recorded footage.

We left his character in a precarious situation but alive after being shot in the stomach in the finale, before being taken into police custody.

Hopefully, newer additions to the cast like Martha Kelly (Laurie), Chloe Cherry (Faye) and Minka Kelly (Samantha) will also be back for a second round to tie up their storylines.

Sadly, as detailed above, Barbie Ferreira will not be reprising her role as Kat Hernandez in season 3 after the actress elected to depart the series.

What's more, it seems that Javon Walton will not be returning as Ashtray either after the character was gunned down by a SWAT team in the season 2 finale.

Despite the possibility of flashback appearances, Walton also didn't rule out Ashtray being alive.

He told Variety: "There’s definitely hope for Ashtray to still be alive. Because if there’s somebody who could take a bullet in the show, it’s Ashtray. Ashtray is one badass kid. He’s not playing around. I believe he has a shot about being around for Season 3."

Could Ashtray be alive after all?

Euphoria season 3 plot: What will happen?

Levinson described the third season of the show as a "film noir" (via Elle).

There are a number of plot points left to explore following the Euphoria season 2 finale.

In terms of major cliffhangers, Fezco was taken into police custody after accidentally being shot in the stomach by adoptive brother Ashtray, who was subsequently shot dead by a SWAT team.

Maude Apatow, who plays Lexi on the show, told Entertainment Weekly that she wanted to see a slow-burn romance between everybody's favourite pair – Fez and Lexi. "I love working with Angus. I think Angus is such a great actor, and we just have so much fun working together," she said. "So for selfish reasons, I hope we get to do more scenes together because it's fun."

Elsewhere, we will continue to follow Rue Bennett on her journey of sobriety and battling addiction - we know she lasts the school year being sober, but what about beyond?

Levison has said (via Elle) that he plans to "explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world".

It also seems that Rue's romance with Jules Vaughn and friendship with Elliot is both now done for good. Where does this leave Jules and is she really done with Elliot too?

Cassie Howard will also be dealing with her split from Nate Jacobs, but former best friend Maddy Perez warned her that their complicated relationship is just beginning. Can Maddy and Cassie mend their friendship?

Meanwhile, newbie Chloe Cherry, who plays heroin addict Faye, told Variety that she hopes Faye grows closer to Rue in season 3.

"They'd vibe for sure. I think Faye has a story of addiction to tell as Rue does; even though it’s different, I think that they could learn something from each other," she said. "I also think Rue is a non-judgmental character, and I think that is all Faye needs. I think if they got closer, they would get along because they have these shared experiences and they are both chill girls in spite of it."

Finally, as mentioned previously, it seems we will follow Cal Jacobs' journey of "redemption" - if such a thing is possible.

Is there a trailer for Euphoria season 3?

HBO has not yet released a trailer for season 3 - production has not yet started on the third season.

We'll be updating our release date page as soon as a clip drops.

Euphoria is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.