- There were rumours season three would be cancelled
- The Hollywood strikes also delayed production
- The show should resume in early 2026
At one point, it looked like Euphoria’s third season was never going to happen. Although it was commissioned in February 2022, fate intervened and pushed the show’s production start date back multiple times.
Read more: Everything we know about Euphoria season three
Along the way, cast members have said that they were in the dark about what was happening with the HBO show. Rumours quickly spread that the show risked cancellation even though season 2 was a huge success.
However, things are now turning around. Production n the show began last month and season three will hopefully land in early 2026. Four years will have passed since the show’s last season and fittingly, it will feature a time jump.
But what’s brought us here? What’s happened in the interim to push back the series so much?
The Hollywood strikes
This one hasn’t just impacted Euphoria, but the whole entertainment industry. If you’ve noticed a longer gap between seasons of your favourite shows, the Hollywood strikes might explain why.
Between May and November 2023, writers and actors from the unions WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike over pay and concerns about artificial intelligence.
This disrupted production on many shows and Euphoria was no different.
The Idol
Euphoria’s showrunner Sam Levinson turned his focus to a different project after season two of Euphoria wrapped. He worked with The Weeknd on the short-lived HBO drama The Idol, which aired in summer 2023.
Reviews, however, were poor and the show wasn’t renewed for a second season.
Other cast members being booked up
Numerous cast members have massively increased in profile since the show began. Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi are just a few of the names who are consistently booked and busy, while Dominic Fike has carved out a successful music career.
Zendaya’s been preoccupied with big-name films such as Dune and Challengers, while Sweeney seems to pop up everywhere, such as in Anyone But You, Madame Web and Immaculate. Elordi, of course, had a starring role in Saltburn.
Death of Angus Cloud
Angus Cloud’s death from a drug overdose in July 2023, at the age of just 25, was a shock to the world. The actor played Fezco ‘Fez’ O’Neill, who was reportedly meant to feature prominently in season 3.
“It was absolutely terrible because we felt like we lost one to the disease,” Cloud’ s co-star Colman Domingo told Vanity Fair last year. “And I’m sure it affected not only the creation of season three, because [Angus] was going to be a very strong part of it, but it’s… I don’t know.”
As a result, the script would have required some substantial alterations.
