Zendaya Says ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Time Jump Is ‘Important’ to Do: ‘Only So Much High School Drama You Can Deal with’

"I’ll be interested to see what happens too," the Emmy-winning actress and series producer said.

Zendaya is ready to graduate to “Euphoria” Season 3.

The Emmy-winning actress and series producer said during Entertainment Weekly‘s “The Awards” podcast that the time jump for the upcoming season is “important” to the arc of the show. The “Challengers” star added that it will offer a “fascinating” storyline for her character Rue. The series will finally return to production in January 2025, and Zendaya said that she is “interested to see what happens.”

“It will be fascinating to see and understand these characters outside of the context of high school and how all the stuff that we saw when they were kids and they were in high school affects the adulthood they have and who they become in a much bigger world,” Zendaya said. “I’ll be interested to see what happens too.”

She added of the time jump, “It’s important because there’s only so much high school drama you can deal with.” Like: “‘And then she cheats on her boyfriend again!,’” Zendaya added.

Yet the star shared that she doesn’t know the specifics of what’s in store for Rue and the rest of the ensemble characters. “I don’t actually know much about what is happening,” she said. “I don’t quite know exactly what the season is going to look like, but I do know that the time jump is happening.”

Zendaya’s co-star Sydney Sweeney echoed the excitement about the time jump, telling Who What Wear that there will be “so much room for growth for both me as a person and also Cassie as a character” with the leap.

“Euphoria” has been off the air since Season 2 concluded in February 2022. In a July 2024 exposé, an anonymous executive told The Hollywood Reporter that the allegations of a toxic workplace on “Euphoria” showrunner Sam Levinson’s other HBO drama “The Idol” affected Zendaya, who is said to have turned down Levinson’s initial script ideas for “Euphoria” Season 3.

The upcoming third season will be the first installment without “Euphoria” actor Angus Cloud, who died in 2023, and Barbie Ferreira, who announced her exit from the cast in August 2022. Austin Abrams, who played Ferreira’s onscreen love interest, also told IndieWire that he doesn’t “anticipate being included in the third season,” but added that he would “love to be included” if possible.