Fans of Euphoria will have a lot longer to ponder the possibilities:
The HBO hit’s third season has been postponed to 2025 — at the earliest.
Wow, right?
When HBO renewed Euphoria for Season 3 in early 2022, fans were livid when it was revealed the new episodes were on track for a 2024 bow.
Now, we’ll be waiting a lot longer.
While many shows are being delayed due to the writers’ strike, various factors are at play here.
Zendaya is one of the most in-demand actresses, with many projects in the pipeline.
Series creator Sam Levinson has also been laser-focused on bringing The Idol to life.
The long-delayed drama finally sees the light of day on HBO this summer.
“Euphoria is one of those [shows] that we had begun writing in tandem with post-production on Idol, but at this point, we don’t have countless scripts,” HBO exec Francesca Orsi told Deadline in a wide-ranging interview.
“We can’t start shooting, so the delivery of that show — ideally in 2025 — will be determined on when we can pick back up with Sam, who at this point is [not writing] and just finishing post on Idol.”
If the show is pushed to 2026, it will have been off the air for at least four years, which might be too much for this kind of show.
Time will tell whether viewers will embrace Euphoria Season 3 with open arms, but we must remember that Euphoria Season 2 soared in popularity vs. Euphoria Season 1.
There have also been rumors that the hit drama will pick up with the characters several years later, which could help soften the blow of such a long hiatus.
Fellow HBO series, House of the Dragon, has managed to continue shooting its second season because the scripts were written before the strike.
Unfortunately, The White Lotus and The Last of Us look to be delayed.
The White Lotus Season 3 has yet to be written, meaning the cameras cannot get rolling in Thailand.
Penciled in for a 2024 launch, a 2025 bow is becoming more likely by the day.
The jury is out on what will become of The Last of Us Season 2, which was initially on track for a 2025 bow.
“I’m hopeful that we can come to terms sooner than later,” Orsi said of the strike.
“Otherwise, we will have to assess what is the end of the ’24 schedule, what are the shows that are going to be delivered for 2025.”
“At this point, those shows that I’m looking to air wouldn’t necessarily be ready if this strike [were to] last six to nine months.”
“So yes, that’s a big question for us, but I think we’ll cross that road once we come to it.”
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.