The American teen drama series 'Euphoria' was a huge success when it premiered in 2019, contributing to the success of actors such as Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney. It has been praised for its unique, dark but glittery aesthetic and its raw portrayal of mental illness among teenagers, but it has also been criticized. A few years ago, a storm began around director Sam Levinson.
In a 2022 interview, Sydney Sweeney said she thought the script initially contained too many nude scenes for her character Cassie, but she clarified that Levinson listened and accepted her changes. The incident led many on social media to question the director's vision and working methods. Actors such as Chloe Cherry, Martha Kelly, and Minka Kelly have also stated that they felt uncomfortable with nude scenes originally written into the script.
Rumors about a poor work environment on the 'Euphoria' set circulated, but HBO quickly dismissed them. The director himself has not given his view on the allegations. In the third season, the audience will be without several familiar faces.
Actor Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat, will not participate, denying rumors of a fight with the director and explaining her departure by saying there was no natural continuation for Kat. Storm Reid, who played Gia, will also be absent, saying she will focus on other projects. Fans are also mourning two of the series' actors who have passed away: Angus Cloud died in 2023 from an overdose, and Eric Dane died at the beginning of the year from ALS.
Several question marks remain about how the series will continue. One month before the premiere, artist Labrinth, who was to make the music with composer Hans Zimmer, published a post where he wrote that he wanted to break the collaboration with 'Euphoria'.