Euphoria Creator Sees Season 3 as a ‘Film Noir'

Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson hints the series will dig deeper into heavy themes with the third season inched closer to film noir territory.

Zendaya’s Rue Bennett continues to struggle with her personal demons in what could be an even more intense third season of Euphoria as it tackles difficult topics of love, loss, addiction, and hope.

Elle gives a hint of things to come when Season 3 of Euphoria drops. Talking about Rue and her pivotal role as a troubled teenager in the fictional town of East Highland, California, series creator Sam Levinson said he sees the show’s third season as a film noir, with Rue exploring what it means to be a principled individual in a corrupt world. Zendaya’s character is no stranger to pain, which is an understatement considering what Rue Bennett went through in the series’ first two seasons. Having her character as the show’s narrator also adds insight into her thoughts apart from each episode’s events and conversations.

Euphoria boasts an ensemble of characters viewers find very relatable. Given that many of these characters are in their teens, there’s heated debate on which one deserves redemption the most with the maturity they achieved. The Season 2 finale episode "All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned For A Thing I Cannot Name" received mixed reactions but was generally praised for the way it handled the storylines. Rue Bennett’s character arc was left open with a traumatic yet hopeful season of addiction recovery. With the way things wrapped up, it’s easier to visualize how Levinson would approach Season 3 as a brooding film noir through monologue and cinematography.

Content Too Explicit Even for Adult Audiences

Each weekly episode of Euphoria was much-anticipated, with viewers taking to social media to speculate on how characters’ stories would develop. The show is both praised and criticized for its decision to handle mature themes, which often involved scenes of nudity and drug use. Seasons 1 and 2 had their share of explicit moments, arguably too intense and disturbing for some viewers. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program even accused the show of advocating drug use, sex, and violence among teenagers. Despite the controversy, Levinson kept the storylines intact to keep the show going and tide viewers in anticipation for Season 3.

Levinson complements Zendaya’s drive as an artist, even as the latter reportedly experienced stage fright last Coachella where she sang Euphoria collaborations "All for Us" and "I’m Tired" with singer-songwriter Labrinth. "She’s the most competitive person I know, in a good way," Levinson said. "She’s constantly growing as an artist and always seeking a challenge. She’s never complacent."

Zendaya's career testifies to this progression, with early credits acting opposite Bella Thorne in Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. Her casting in The Greatest Showman and Spider-Man: Homecoming made Zendaya a household name, but fans also took notice of her more mature roles before Rue Bennett, notably as the girl in Bruno Mars’ "Versace on the Floor" music video.

Season 3 of Euphoria is pending release date, ideally sometime in 2025 according to HBO head of drama Francesca Orsi.