‘Euphoria’ creator Sam Levinson teases social media addiction and an ‘unforgettable’ wedding in Season 3

A scene from HBO's "Euphoria." (HBO/Everett Collection via CNN Newsource)

Sam Levinson is spilling tea about the new season of “Euphoria”… and the time gap everyone’s wondering about.

The creator of the hit HBO Max series shared a peek at the new episodes at an event in London this week, according to the BBC, during which he explained that the young adult characters – played by the likes of Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney – have matured since Season 2, which aired in early 2022. (HBO Max is owned by CNN’s parent company.)

Levinson said of pushing the storyline ahead “five years felt like a natural place because if they’d gone to college they’d be out of college at that time.”

For Zendaya’s central character Rue, he explained that in the new season she is “south of the (U.S.) border in Mexico, in debt to Laurie (played by Martha Kelly), trying to come up with some very innovative ways to pay it off.”

He also gave an update on the characters Cassie and Nate, played by Sweeney and Elordi, respectively.

“Cassie is living in the suburbs with Nate, they’re engaged and she’s 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,” Levinson said, adding that their wedding will be “unforgettable” for the show’s audience.

Schafer’s character Jules will be “in art school” pursuing a career as an artist, and Alexa Demie’s character Maddy will be working in “Hollywood at a talent agency,” joined by Maude Apatow’s Lexi who in the new season “is an assistant to a show runner played by Sharon Stone.”

“I feel strongly this is our best season yet,” Levinson added.

The critically acclaimed series earned Zendaya an outstanding lead actress in a drama series Emmy win in 2020, making her the youngest actress ever to snag that honor at the time. She was 24.

Her win for “Euphoria” in that same category two years later once again made history as she became the youngest woman to win twice in the category, and the first Black woman to win twice.

Several actors will not be returning for Season 3 including Austin Abrams, Barbie Ferreira, Algee Smith and Storm Reed.

Angus Cloud, who enjoyed the breakout role of Fezco, a sweet-natured drug dealer who cared deeply for Rue, died at the age of 25 in 2023.

Singer Rosalía and influencer/actress Trisha Paytas are joining the cast in Season 3, which is set to return in April.

By Lisa Respers France, CNN