Zendaya Just Announced 2 New ‘Euphoria’ Episodes Are Coming in 2020

Since the Euphoria season 1 finale in August 2019, fans have been desperate for any information about Euphoria season 2. Who’s in the cast? When’s the release date? What are the spoilers? Before we dive into what we know about Euphoria season 2, let’s recap what happened in season 1.

Euphoria, based on an Israeli TV series of the same name that ran from 2012 to 2013, premiered in June 2019. The series, which is executive produced by Drake, stars Zendaya as Rue Bennett, a recovering teenage drug addict who’s struggling to find her place in the world. The season followed Rue as she found a friend and a romantic relationship with Jules Vaughn, a transgender new student at her high school. As expected from HBO, Euphoria ended with a cliffhanger after Jules confesses her love for both Rue and Anna, another character, and Jules relapses by snorting a line of cocaine after she backs out of her and Jules’ plan to leave town together. Of course, this all brings us back to Euphoria season 2. Here’s what we know about it.

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When is Euphoria season 2’s release date?

In July 2019, HBO announced that Euphoria was renewed for season 2. A release date hasn’t been announced yet. “Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has built an incredible world with an extraordinary cast led by the supremely talented Zendaya,” Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said in a statement at the time. “We are so grateful that he chose HBO as the home for this groundbreaking series. We look forward to following these complex characters as their journeys continue through the challenging world they inhabit.” Zendaya also reacted to the news in a tweet at the time. “Literally just got the call. Can’t say thank you enough for the support we’ve seen, wow,” she wrote.

https://twitter.com/Zendaya/status/1149416419949338624?s=20

The official Euphoria Twitter account confirmed in March 2020 that filming for season 2 had started with a photo of Zendaya at a table read. “here we go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the tweet read. However, due to the pandemic, filming had been pushed back to 2021. “We were supposed to go back to work, I believe, on March 16,” Zendaya told Variety in June 2020. “And, literally, three or four days before that, they were shut down. I was like, ‘I was so close.’ We did camera tests and hair and makeup tests, and we got to see everybody and we had the sets built.” She continued, “I mean the scripts were written and I was just so excited—just to go back home is really what it feels like. But of course, this has all happened and I’m just grateful that I’m in the position I’m in. I can’t complain. I’m very lucky to be safe and healthy and still know that I have a job, Euphoria, that will be there.”

https://twitter.com/euphoriaHBO/status/1237772164994121729?s=20

However, that doesn’t mean Euphoria fans didn’t have new content in 2020. In October 2020, Zendaya announced that two Euphoria episodes were set to air by the end 2020. The first premiered on December 6, 2020. The episodes lead into season 2. “We really missed them. Two special Euphoria episodes coming soon. First one December 6th on @hbo,” Zendaya caption a photo of Rue’s reflection in Jules’ eye on Instagram.

HBO’s synopsis of the episode read: “In the aftermath of being left by Jules at the train station and relapsing, the first special episode follows Rue as she celebrates Christmas. Written and directed by series creator Sam Levinson, the episode, titled “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” also stars Colman Domingo, who appeared in season one. The title and date of the second episode are forthcoming. Both special episodes were produced under COVID-19 guidelines.”

https://twitter.com/Zendaya/status/1333500922299813888?s=20

Who’s in the Euphoria season 2 cast?

Most of the Euphoria season 1 cast members are set to return for season 2. Kelvin Harrison Jr., who starred in the 2019 film Waves, also confirmed in May 2020 that he was cast as a new character for season 2. “I wasn’t talking about it for a while but we’re in Quarantine, YOLO. Yes, I’m doing Euphoria. I’m excited,” he told Complex at the time. “You know, right before quarantine we were about to start our first day, and then we got locked down, but the camera tests were sick, the fittings were sick, the table reads have been amazing. The scripts are so great and everyone is really excited for it. [Sam Levinson is] a great writer and a brilliant storyteller, and the aesthetic and world-building they do in that show is so unique and he really pushes boundaries, as well. So I’m excited to step into that space and do my part.”

He continued, “I’ve never seen a character like this, period… I don’t think a character like this… I can almost argue that it has not been done. It’s interesting, it is definitely a character of the time and that’s all I got. He’s interesting.”

What is Euphoria season 2 about? 

Storm Reid, who plays Rue’s younger sister Gia in Euphoria, told Entertainment Tonight in February 2020 that her character’s role will expand in season 2. “I have no information, other than my character is supposed to be developing and becoming her own. So I am very excited about that,” Reid said at the time.

She also told Elle in August 2020 that the scripts for season 2 are “pretty incredible.” She also hinted tension between Gia and Rue in season 2, revealing that Rue turned Gia’s life “upside down.” “I feel like this season we’ll really get to see who she is outside of just being Rue’s little sister,” Reid said. “She will really become her own person and her own character and she really is growing up in the show, which I love.”

Reid also told Elle that the show will likely not explore the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the scripts I read have the elements of being smaller or relating to the pandemic,” she said. “I think we’re just all waiting to see what’s going to happen. I know that Sam [Levinson, the show’s creator] is the only one who writes the scripts, so he’s very involved and puts his heart and his all into everything that goes into Euphoria. I can’t speak for everybody, but I think our hope right now is to get over this and be able to go back into production like we planned and do it safely.”

Buy: Watch 'Euphoria' $3.99+

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