Zendaya described shooting Euphoria Season 3 as a fast, intense stretch of work that surprised even her. At the premiere of her new movie The Drama at the DGA, she told reporters that the schedule felt compressed and moved quickly.

Filming in fast-forward

Zendaya said, "I did what I do in eight months in like four months." She explained it felt like trying to cram eight episodes into a shorter span of time, and that the whole process "just flew by me."

What she’s seen and what she hopes

The actress, who has won two Emmys for her work as Rue, said she has only seen a little of the new season so far. "I’m excited," she said, adding, "I hope it turns out beautifully."

Where the story picks up

The new season jumps ahead five years. Key beats reportedly include:

  • Cassie and Nate are married and living in the suburbs.
  • Rue is living in Mexico and is working to pay off a debt to drug dealer Laurie.
  • Series creator Sam Levinson has said Jules is in art school and Maddy is working at a talent agency in Hollywood.

Who’s in and who’s out

The returning main cast includes Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, the late Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, Martha Kelly, Chloe Cherry, Colman Domingo and Dominic Fike. Several actors who appeared in earlier seasons are not back this time, including Barbie Ferreira, Storm Reid, Javon "Wanna" Walton and Austin Abrams.

The show also acknowledges the death of Angus Cloud, who became well known for playing Fezco and died in July 2023 at age 25.

Cast reactions and secrecy

Jacob Elordi said the experience felt liberating and very different from his past roles. He praised Sam Levinson for building something clever and cinematic. Elordi added that his own storyline was fairly self-contained, and he did not know all the other plotlines while filming. That means he expects to watch the finished season more like a fan.

New faces joining Season 3

Several notable newcomers were announced for the season, including Sharon Stone, Rosalía, Trisha Paytas, Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Deadwyler, Eli Roth and Marshawn Lynch.

Release and preview

The first trailer for Season 3 arrived in January, ahead of the season premiere set for April 12 on HBO and HBO Max.

Outside of Euphoria, Zendaya has a busy year. She appears in The Drama, and is also lined up for roles in Dune: Part Three, the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Christopher Nolan's upcoming film The Odyssey.