Sam Levinson is finally giving “Euphoria” fans what they want.
Dedicated viewers of the HBO Max drama have patiently endured the last year and a half without as much as a hint about its anticipated third season. Fortunately, showrunner Levinson made an appearance in Elle’s recent cover story about lead actor Zendaya — and finally dished.
Audiences last saw Zendaya’s character, Rue, in the Season 2 finale in February 2022 and watched her loved ones stage a drug intervention. While a voiceover confirmed she stayed sober for the rest of the school year, Levinson teased more upcoming hardships.
The showrunner told Elle he plans on turning the next season into a “film noir” that uses Rue as a vehicle to “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.” Further details remain sparse, though Zendaya previously teased what to expect.
“I would like to explore Rue’s sobriety and that journey for her and what that looks like,” she told “Extra” in April 2022. “What the ups and downs of that journey for her might look like. We see her in the midst of it. It would be nice to see her close to the other side.”
Levinson praised the Emmy and Golden Globe winner for always creatively pushing herself. He told Elle: “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.”
Monica Schipper via Getty Images
The cast and crew of “Euphoria” have been busied by an ongoing strike, however, as the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America unions demand fair residual pay from streamers, guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence and other protections.
In July, the “Euphoria” team faced a major loss when show standout Angus Cloud was found dead in his home at 25 years old. His charming drug dealer character, Fezco, was last seen getting arrested during a raid.
“I can’t wait to get back to work with everyone,” Cloud told E! News in October. “I feel like it’s been way too long. I just can’t wait to see everyone and working on set again. Definitely not sure what to expect for Fezco, but knowing Sam, it will be good.”
The show commemorated Cloud by adding a note in his honor to multiple episodes, while co-stars including Sydney Sweeney and Alexa Demie remembered him in their own ways. Zendaya, meanwhile, published a lengthy tribute to Cloud on Instagram.
“I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love…‘they could light up any room they entered’ but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it,” Zendaya wrote at the time. “I’d like to remember him that way.”
A date for the third season premiere of “Euphoria” has yet to be announced.