In a cohort of high school characters or a bunch of friends, only a few stand out, becoming a cultural phenomenon and propelling the actors' careers to international stardom. HBO's Euphoria is one such show that started in the shady world of a high school, and quickly enthralled millions of viewers with its hyper-stylized narrative, unflinching emotional realism, and unforgettable performances. With glittered breakdowns and messy hair, stars like Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, and more became pop culture icons in no time. Now that its third season production is finally active, expectations soar as high as the budget to deliver equally sensational episodes.

Since its premiere in 2019, HBO must have enjoyed a beyond satisfactory creative return. Now it is time to create even grander art, which would be worth the expense.

Great art comes at a cost. In the case of HBO's Euphoria, it is a surprising budget of $200 million, making it one of the production house's most expensive projects to date. Zendaya reportedly charges $1 million per episode in this season. Additionally, emerging stars, as well as A-list musicians such as Rosalía and sports stars such as Marshawn Lynch, also serve to highlight HBO's investment in high-quality talent and international scope for this season.

The Dune actress, who has bagged the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for Euphoria Season 1 as well as Season 2, reportedly re-negotiated her terms to elevate her salary from $500,00 to a million per episode, following her immense crowd-pulling prowess and global fame. While the first two seasons of the show had a budget of $165 million to $176 million, this season is their most expensive instalment yet. To put this into perspective, Game of Thrones had a budget of $90 million for its closing season.

'Euphoria' Season 3: Missed the Buzz? Here’s Every New Cast Reveal, Story Update, and BTS Scoop So Far

Euphoria not only has a jaw-dropping budget but also boasts a cast of celebrities like no other.

After several delays owing to writers' and actors' strikes, production finally commenced in early 2025, bringing back the major characters such as Zendaya's Rue, Hunter Schafer's Jules, Jacob Elordi's Nate, Sydney Sweeney's Cassie, Alexa Demie's Maddy, Maude Apatow's Lexi, and Eric Dane's Cal. While Colman Domingo's Ali will appear as a guest star, newcomers such as Rosalía, Marshawn Lynch, Kadeem Hardison, and others have already anointed the series with excitement. However, Barbie Ferreira, Storm Reid, Nika King, and Algee Smith are among the original cast who will not be returning this season.

The season of the series will have a time jump, where viewers will find the lead characters navigating their adult lives after high school. While Rue's struggle with addiction will remain far from being over, Zendaya could only hope to spare her character a speck of happiness going forward. She had expressed to Extra about wanting to portray Rue's sobriety for once. Meanwhile, a lot of drama is yet to unfold for Cassie and Nate as their destinies will intertwine, while her story takes a darker turn.

Whether the storyline will resolve tensions between Maddie and Cassie, or temper Jules and Rue's romantic tension, is yet to be seen, as HBO has not yet revealed more details about the plot. Though having faced three years of delay, HBO promises to air Euphoria Season 3 in 2026, rife with emotive conclusions to teen chaos and its unusually immersive storyline, this time with an add-on of high-budgeted visuals.

‘Euphoria’ Taps Oscar-Winning Composer for Season 3 — Here’s What to Expect

What are your expectations for Euphoria Season 3? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.