Everything to Know About “Euphoria” Season 3
Everything to Know About “Euphoria” Season 3
Samantha Stutsman, Nicole PomaricoTue, March 31, 2026 at 5:31 PM UTC
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Zendaya in 'Euphoria' season 3Credit: HBO -
The hit HBO series Euphoria is set to return for season 3 in April 2026
The new episodes come nearly four years after season 2 aired in 2022
The season will mark Eric Dane's final appearance in the series after his death in February 2026
After a hiatus lasting nearly four years, Euphoria season 3 is finally on the way.
At the end of season 2, which aired in 2022, lead character Rue Bennett (played by Zendaya) left viewers with these words: "I stayed clean through the rest of the school year. I wish I could say that was a decision I made. In some ways, it was just easier."
Rue's struggle with drugs is far from over, but Zendaya hopes season 3 brings "a little bit of happiness and a little bit of joy" after a tumultuous second season.
"I would like to explore Rue's sobriety and that journey for her," she told Extra. "We see her in the midst of it. It would be nice to see her closer to the other side."
Euphoria was renewed for a third season in February 2022, and while filming was originally slated to begin in the first half of 2024, ultimately, production didn't kick off until February 2025.
The new episodes will also mark Eric Dane's final appearance on the show, since filming took place before his death in February 2026.
Now that the wait for new episodes is almost over, here's everything we know about Euphoria season 3.
How did Euphoria season 2 end?
Alexa Demie in 'Euphoria'Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
Fans were left with a lot of cliffhangers at the end of season 2. Here's a quick recap:
After going through a painful detox, Rue goes on an apology tour — hoping to make amends with her sponsor, Ali (Colman Domingo), and her friends Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) and Elliot (Dominic Fike). Rue also had a brief but silent interaction with Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) in the auditorium that gave viewers hope for their relationship.
In the final two episodes of season 2, Lexi's play upsets a lot of people — more specifically, her sister, Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney), who is depicted as a self-centered teenager, and her boyfriend Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). Halfway through the play, Cassie confronts her sister onstage. It goes from bad to worse when Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) steps in.
While Cassie is having a mental breakdown in front of the entire school, Maddy decides it's the perfect time to punish her former best friend for hooking up with her ex-boyfriend, Nate. An inevitable physical altercation ensues between Cassie and Maddy.
Nate, who stormed out of Lexi's play and seemingly broke up with Cassie in the process, makes a shocking decision to turn his dad, Cal Jacobs (Dane), over to the police.
The most devastating part of the final episode had to be the fatal gunfight between the police and Fezco's adopted brother, Ashtray (Javon Walton). All dressed up and ready to attend his crush Lexi's play, Fez (Angus Cloud) discovers that the police have flipped his friend Custer and are going to storm through the door at any moment.
Ashtray makes the rash decision to stick a knife in Custer's neck — and all hell breaks loose. Despite Fez's best efforts to intervene, the police kill Ash.
What is Euphoria season 3 about?
Sydney Sweeney in 'Euphoria' Season 3Credit: Courtesy of HBO
Creator Sam Levinson shared the first details about Euphoria season 3 as part of an HBO Max presentation in December 2025 while also confirming the five-year time jump.
"Five years felt like a natural place because if they’d gone to college they’d be out of college at that time,” he said, via Variety. “We basically pick up Rue south of the border in Mexico, in debt to Laurie, trying to come up with some very innovative ways to pay it off.”
He added that Cassie and Nate get married in the new episodes, and when the show catches up with them in the future, they're living in the suburbs and Cassie is "very addicted to social media and envious of what appears to be the big lives that all of her high school classmates are living at this point in time.”
And as for the rest of the cast? “Jules is in art school, very nervous about having a career as a painter and trying to avoid responsibility at all costs," he said. "Maddy is working in Hollywood at a talent agency for a manager, she’s obviously got her own side hustles going. And Lexi is an assistant to a showrunner played by Sharon Stone, who is just absolutely delightful and a true icon.”
While Fez's fate was still hanging in the balance during the season 2 finale, the actor who portrays him, Cloud, died in September 2025 after an accidental overdose. So far, it's unclear if that means that Cloud's character didn't survive the finale, or if his absence will be explained in another way.
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Which cast members are returning for Euphoria season 3?
'Euphoria' castCredit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Fans can expect the top of the call sheet to return for season 3, which includes Zendaya and Schafer.
During a Euphoria cast Q&A in December 2022, Schafer shared that Jules will likely continue to seek a relationship with Rue.
"She's looking for closeness with other people and [to feel] affirmed in that closeness," Schafer said, per The Hollywood Reporter. "She knows it's there with Rue."
Fike, who plays Elliot and dated Schafer in real life, is slated to return. Viewers will also see more of Dane, who portrayed Cal, for the final time.
"There's gonna be redemption," Dane told Variety, referring to Cal's explicit activities. "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."
Apatow will continue to play Lexi and more Cassie drama is coming fans' way, courtesy of Sweeney. Elordi is also on board for the new season.
HBO Max announced more returning cast members in October 2025 in an Instagram post, revealing that Sophia Rose Wilson, Alanna Ubach, Daeg Faerch, Zak Steiner, Melvin Bonez Estes, Nika King and Paula Marshall will all reprise their roles.
Which cast members are not returning for Euphoria season 3?
Barbie Ferreira in 'Euphoria'Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
For those wondering if Ash is really dead after his encounter with the police, the answer is "yes."
In August 2022, Walton spoke with Entertainment Tonight about saying goodbye to the hit TV show. "I do think Ash is dead," he said. "As much as I loved Euphoria, I've moved on."
The show also said goodbye to Barbie Ferreira's character, Kat Hernandez. In August 2022, the actress announced her departure from Euphoria.
"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 on Instagram. "I hope many of you could see yourself in her like i did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today. I put all my care and love into her and i hope you guys could feel it."
Which new cast members are joining Euphoria season 3?
Zendaya in 'Euphoria' season 3Credit: Patrick Wymore/HBO
When HBO announced the returning cast members, they also shared a slew of newcomers to the cast for the upcoming season.
The new cast will include influencer Trisha Paytas, along with Natasha Lyonne, Eli Roth, Sam Trammell, Bella Podaras, Matthew Willig, Bill Bodner, Rebecca Pidgeon, Madison Thompson, Cailyn Rice, Colleen Camp, Danielle Deadwyler, Kwame Patterson, Gideon Adlon, Hemky Madera, Homer Gere, Jack Topalian and Jessica Blair Herman.
Is there a trailer for Euphoria season 3?
HBO released a full trailer for Euphoria season 3 on March 30.
Starting off with Rue being interviewed about whether or not she's been to Mexico (and lying about it), the trailer then shows a scene from Cassie and Nate's wedding, along with what the rest of the group is now up to as adults.
The new footage from the upcoming season is nonstop action, including Rue seemingly running from death, yet again.
When will Euphoria season 3 be released?
Maude Apatow in 'Euphoria' season 3Credit: Patrick Wymore/HBO
Euphoria season 3 was set to begin filming in the spring or early summer of 2024. However, due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes and script delays, production was unable to begin until early 2025.
In a post on X shared on Feb. 10, 2025, HBO confirmed that the show was officially in production.
Euphoria returns for season 3 on Sunday, April 12 on HBO and HBO Max.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
