Euphoria (American TV series)

Season 1 (2019)

Specials (2020–21)

Season 2 (2022)

Season 3 (2026)

Development

In 2006, Sam Levinson began drafting different versions of what eventually became Euphoria, based on his personal experiences as a teenager and his struggles with anxiety, depression, and drug addiction.^[46][47][6] In June 2017, he was invited to a meeting with HBO's head of drama, Francesca Orsi about an adaptation of the 2012 Israeli television series Euphoria created by Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin, and Tamira Yardeni.^[48][49] Levinson recalled the meeting with Orsi: "We just had a conversation about just life and her life and my life and various struggles that, you know, we've been through and things and she said, 'Great, you know, well go and write that' and I said 'What?' and she goes 'Everything we just talked about'".^[49] Orsi liked the "raw and honest" portrayal of drug use and other teenage problems in the Israeli series,^[50] and in a press release described the American version as "Kids meets Trainspotting" with no parental supervision.^[51] The production was given a pilot order on March 13, 2018,^[52] and on July 30, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order.^[53]

Levinson has served as Euphoria's showrunner since its premiere and has written every episode.^[53] He has cited teenage anxiety as an influence for the series: "There is this consistent anxiety that I think exists in this generation that I think informed the whole filmmaking process."^[54] He has directed every episode bar three directed by Augustine Frizzell, Jennifer Morrison and Pippa Bianco.^[55][56] Euphoria is a co-production of The Reasonable Bunch, A24, Little Lamb, DreamCrew, and HBO Entertainment.^[57] It has sixteen executive producers, including Levinson, Leshem, Levin, Yardeni, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Mirit Toovi, Yoram Mokadi, Gary Lennon, Zendaya, Canadian rapper Drake, Future the Prince, Ravi Nandan, and Kevin Turen.^[48][58][53]

The series was renewed for a second season on July 11, 2019.^[59] Before its release, HBO ordered two special episodes.^[60] Production for the second season was scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2020, with the first table read on March 11,^[61] but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the production.^[62][63] Production resumed in March 2021, with filming from April to November.^[64] HBO defended the series against allegations of a toxic work environment during the production of the second season, writing: "The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It's not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised."^[65]

On February 4, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a third season.^[66] In September 2022, HBO's CEO Casey Bloys said the series would not end after the third season.^[67] Production of the third season was set to start in February 2023,^[68] aiming for a late 2023 release.^[69] The third season production was disrupted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.^[70] In May 2023, Euphoria was confirmed to take place in the same universe as Levinson's 2023 television series The Idol.^[71][72] Euphoria series regular Alexa Demie makes an uncredited cameo appearance in the series' first episode. ^[73][74] Pre-production for the third season had begun by December 2023.^[75][76] Principal photography began in January 2025 and wrapped in November.^[77][78]

On May 31, 2026, the same day that the final episode of the third season was released, HBO confirmed that the series had concluded after three seasons.^[79][80] In an interview with The New York Times, Levinson elaborated on his decision to end the series and stated: "In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me". He noted that the final episode also acted as a tribute to Angus Cloud following his death from a drug overdose in 2023 and said, "It was a way of honoring Angus and saying a prayer for the future".^[81]

Casting

Clockwise: The cast includes Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi

On June 7, 2018, it was announced that the pilot would star Zendaya, Storm Reid, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney.^[82] On October 31, Austin Abrams was cast and Algee Smith replaced Stro, who reportedly quit the series after shooting the pilot as he was uncomfortable with the sexual content involving his character.^[83][84]

On August 6, 2021, Dominic Fike was added to the main cast of season 2.^[85] On August 24, 2022, Ferreira announced via Instagram that she had decided to leave the series.^[11] On April 5, 2023, she stated: "I just felt like, maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit. So for me, I actually felt good to be like, 'Okay, I get to not worry about this, and we both don't get too worried about this', because it's exhausting."^[86]

On July 31, 2023, Cloud died before production of the third season had begun.^[87] In July 2024, Colman Domingo confirmed that he would be reprising his role in the third season.^[14] In November, Reid announced she would not be returning for the third season.^[13] In February 2025, it was reported that series regulars Smith, King, Abrams, and Javon "Wanna" Walton would also not be returning.^[12][15] Martha Kelly and Chloe Cherry were reported to have been promoted to series regulars for the third season, with Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Toby Wallace also joining the main cast.^[88] On February 19, 2026, Dane died after having completed his work on the third season.^[89]

Filming

Primary photography takes place in Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Grant High School in Los Angeles stands in for the fictional East Highland High School.^[90] According to the California Film Commission, the first season of Euphoria received $8,378,000 in incentive tax credits. The first season was filmed over 104 days; the second season's production costs totaled $96,685,000 after 176 filming days. The second season received a $19,406,000 tax credit for employing over 15,000 people in California.^[91]

Zendaya received $500,000 per episode in the first two seasons and $1,000,000 per episode in the third season.^[92][93][94] Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, an intimacy coordinator was used.^[95][96][97]

Zendaya said she wanted to explore characters outside the high school setting in the third season,^[98][99] Filming quietly began in January 2025 with all of the scenes set inside the strip club being shot first.^[100][101] Filming was officially announced on February 10.^{[102][103][104]} Zendaya and Priscilla Delgado were spotted filming a scene from episode 2 on February 28.^[105] In March, Demie was shooting scenes with Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.^[106] Domingo filmed some of his scenes in March and returned to film the rest in July.^[107] Elordi and Dane started shooting in April.^[108][109] As a result of her busy schedule, Zendaya was forced to shoot all her scenes in a truncated timeline, stating: "It was a whirlwind. I did what I do in eight months in like four months. It was like trying to get eight episodes in at once. It just flew by me".^[110] Zendaya wrapped her scenes in June.^[111] In October, Elordi wrapped shooting his role while Sweeney filmed her final scenes in November.^{[112][113][114]}

Cinematography

The show employs hyper-stylized cinematography, which presents an "emotional realism" that captures the inner perspectives of the series's adolescent characters.^{[115][116][117]} During pre-production, Levinson reportedly told photographer Petra Collins that he had "written a show inspired by her work and asked her to come and direct". After working with Levinson on the series for five months, Collins was informed by HBO that she was "too young" to direct.^[118] Reactions to the series following its release included comparisons to Collins' work and its influence on the show's visual style.^[119][120] The first season was shot digitally using the Arri Alexa 65 camera.^[121] The two special episodes and second season were shot on 35 mm movie film, primarily Kodak's Ektachrome, which distorted how set lighting looked on camera and cinematographer Marcell Rév attributed to a desire to invoke "some sort of memory of high school".^[122][123] The third season also used Kodak and added 65 mm film, including a new stock called Verita created specifically for the show.^[124][125]

The series often uses saturated colors notably to illustrate its characters' emotional states. Shades of green and yellow regularly symbolize distress, while purple and blue convey an elated, feverish atmosphere.^[117] In shooting both day and night exteriors, Rév relied on an exaggerated orange-blue scheme, translated in the use of backlights and tungsten lights, to create visuals that feel "almost dreamlike". LED lamps and SkyPanels were used in several interior shoots to make tones more vivid.^[126] "For camera movements, we really wanted it to have a certain energy that ties the different storylines together. So, I would say the camera movement is the glue in the show, that glues it together", said Rév of the energized design element that stands out.^[115] Extensive whip pans and tracking shots were employed to portray intimacy, growth, and interrelationship.

Costumes and makeup

The costume design is arguably the series' most notable and influential hallmark.^[127][128] Jamila Stewart of Vogue stated that Euphoria still has a palpable impact on where fashion trends fall today.^[129] The characters often wear chic, flamboyant outfits that serve as "plot devices and psychological profiles" to represent their personalities and character arcs. For example, in season 1, costume designer Heidi Bivens dressed Jules, a transgender girl, in a wardrobe of bright pastels and tennis skirts, inspired by the character's interest in anime and fantasy, to embody "the youthful optimism that comes with a fresh start" and her journey to "conquer" femininity, but as Jules explores her gender identity and becomes more disillusioned between seasons 1 and 2, she "slips into a slightly muted, darker and more androgynous" wardrobe.^[130] Into the Gloss spoke of the makeup: "Since the first episode, it's all everyone's been talking about. And while naysayers will point out that Euphoria's makeup is too good to be realistic, seeing it reminded me quite a bit of the very real makeup I used to wear in high school."^[131]

Music

Season 1 and 2's music was composed by British record producer Labrinth.^[132] Euphoria (Original Score from the HBO Series) was released by Sony Masterworks through Milan Records on October 4, 2019.^[133] Euphoria Season 2 Official Score (From the HBO Original Series) was released by Columbia Records on April 22, 2022.^[134] In October 2019, Labrinth told Rolling Stone about the mentality behind score: "When you look back to your teenage days, it feels semi-magical but semi-crazy and semi-psychotic. I wanted to make sure the music felt like those things."^[135] The score has been described as "the holy lilt of gospel, orchestral and electronic" and was favorably reviewed by Variety.^[136]

The series also makes extensive use of licensed popular music,^[137] including hip-hop, trap, rhythm and blues, experimental, indie rock, standards and doo-wop, with some episodes featuring over twenty songs.^[138][139] Soundtracks to season 1 and season 2 was released by Interscope Records on May 14, 2021,^[140] and March 4, 2022.^[141]

In July 2025, it was announced that Hans Zimmer had joined the series to compose the third season.^[142] In March 2026, Labrinth released a strongly worded personal statement on his social media where he criticized both his record label and the series.^[143] The following month, Labrinth elaborated on his departure from Euphoria and confirmed that his music had been removed from the third season.^[144]

Home media

The first and second seasons (including the two special episodes) were released on DVD on November 1, 2022, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.^[154] This is the first A24 series not to be released from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.^[154] A Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray are not yet announced.^[154]

Critical response

Specials

Both specials received widespread critical acclaim for their writing, performances, and shift in tone and content from the first season. On Rotten Tomatoes, they have scores of 97% and 96%, based on 30 and 23 critical reviews respectively. The website's critical consensus for "Trouble Don't Last Always" reads, "Euphoria slows down the tempo without losing the beat in a special episode that pairs a raw Zendaya with a steady Colman Domingo to create small screen magic."^[164] "Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob"'s reads, "By centering on Jules' journey, "Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob" adds welcome depth to her character and gives Hunter Schafer plenty of room to shine."^[165] On Metacritic, the specials has an average weighted score of 84 and 78 out of 100 respectively, both based on 10 reviews.^[166][167]

Controversies

Some commentators and organizations have criticized the series's explicit content, including self-harm, excessive drug use, and sexual material amongst its teenage characters,^[174] content present in other HBO series, including Big Little Lies, Game of Thrones, Girls, Luck, and Westworld.^[175] The conservative media advocacy group Parents Television and Media Council called the series "dark, depraved, degenerate and nihilistic", and asked HBO and AT&T to end it.^[176] Common Sense Media, which provides information on media's suitability for children, also noted the strong adult themes and advised against teenage viewership.^[177] The Guardian wrote that writers and producers should find new and different ways to shock audiences.^[178] In 2022, Minka Kelly said she felt discomfort at the quantity of nude scenes in the series.^[179] Drug Abuse Resistance Education criticized the series's depiction of drug use, saying that it "chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use addiction ... and other destructive behaviors as common in today's world".^[180] Samuel Getachew wrote in a Culture piece for Vogue that the series' depictions of trauma aestheticize it in a way that his "generation is particularly vulnerable to".^[181]

Ratings

The series' premiere averaged 577,000 viewers in its time slot, a number that increased to one million after the same-night linear replay and preliminary viewing on HBO Go/Now.^[191] The hashtag #EuphoriaHBO trended number one in the US and number three worldwide on Twitter after the premiere.^[191] The first season was the most watched of HBO's series in the 18–49 demographic^[192] with episodes averaging 6.6 million viewers.^[193] Season 2 premiere drew 2.4 million viewers across all HBO platforms, a series high. It also marked the strongest digital premiere night performance for any episode of an HBO series since HBO Max's launch,^[194] until it was dethroned by House of the Dragon.^[195][196] At the end of its second season, it became the second-most-watched HBO series since 2004 (behind Game of Thrones), with episodes averaging 16.3 million viewers^[193] until it was surpassed by House of the Dragon.^[197] According to Variety, Euphoria became the most tweeted television series of the 2020s in the US, with more than 30 million tweets related to the series during the second season, 51% more than during Season 1.^[198]

Euphoria : U.S. viewers per episode (thousands)

More information Season, Episode number ...

Season		Episode number								Average
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	1	577	574	493	609	579	569	549	530	560
	–	236	109	–						173
	2	254	279	264	318	353	283	350	625	340
	3	356	325	399	387	356	333	308	TBD	TBD

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Audience measurement performed by Nielsen Media Research^[199]

Accolades

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has acknowledged Euphoria at their Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies twenty five times and given the cast and crew nine statues.^[200] Its first season received six nominations at the 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and one 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Zendaya for "Made You Look").^[201] The Creative Arts Emmy Awards gave the series the award for Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) (Doniella Davy, Kirsten Sage Coleman and Tara Lang Shah for "And Salt the Earth Behind You")^[202] and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Labrinth for "All for Us").^[203]

Its second season received three nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards with a repeat win (Zendaya for "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird").^[204] At the 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards the series garnered twelve nominations and five wins, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Domingo for "Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys"), Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming (Ryan Heffington for "Call Me Irresponsible", "Holding Out for a Hero", "Cheerleader"), Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) (Rév for "The Theater and Its Double"), Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) (Davy, Lang Shah and Alex French for "The Theater and Its Double") and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series (Laura Zempel, Julio C. Perez IV, Nikola Boyanov and Aaron I. Butler for "The Theater and Its Double").^[205]