Since when did it become normal for TV series take over two years to come back for the next season? When it comes to the 2024 TV schedule, there are more titles than ever (such as House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) that have skipped a year from being on our televisions due to their massive productions before returning. But it feels like Euphoria Season 3 might set a record, given it’s been over two years since the last season ended and production has yet to begin on the next.
Colman Domingo plays the Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Ali Muhammed to Euphoria’s Rue. Ahead of the actor returning to his role alongside the rest of the main cast, he had this to say about why he thinks each season takes so long to reach audiences:
People want to know everything about Euphoria and I feel like we don't know, to be honest, there's not, there's been a lot of noise about Euphoria and I think it's just a lot of noise because it's in the zeitgeist the way it is, but in reality, it's like we hang with each other. We love each other. You know, we're letting, you know, giving Sam the time to write the scripts that he wants to write and do it right and a show like Euphoria, I think each episode takes maybe about a month to shoot, which is unusual, but because there's so many scenes and camera angles and all that…I think it's a bit of a masterpiece and I think that's why it takes so long.
Because it’s been over two years since Euphoria came out, there’s a tendency for fans to think that perhaps there’s some drama happening behind the scenes between the cast, crew, and creatives that has been stalling production. Rumors have swirled that Zendaya, who is also an executive producer on the series, was not happy with some of the initial pitches for Season 3 and made suggestions for it to go into another direction. Additionally, there have been past complications, such as Barbie Ferreira leaving Season 3 due to not wanting to simply play the “fat best friend.”
However, from Colman Domingo’s point of view, Euphoria takes so long because a lot of work and care needs to (and is) put into the series, and that takes time. He shared that a single episode can take a month to shoot oftentimes, and he finds it to be something of a “masterpiece” on television.
There are also other factors to keep in mind. For example, Euphoria star Angus Cloud died at the young age of 25 last summer, which certainly shook many of his castmates and filmmakers. Additionally, creator Sam Levinson faced a career setback when his series The Idol went through a lot of reported changes and issues behind the scenes. Euphoria tackles many sensitive topics, and it’s commendable that the creatives are not rushing the process.
In regards to Ali’s future in the show, we don’t have any plot details other than it’s expected to time jump five years. During Colman Domingo’s interview on Radio Andy, he shared one request:
I am asking for my character to have sex. I would like to see, because I'm like, ‘These young kids are out there having all this kind of sex,’ and I'm like, ‘I think Ali needs to get some this season.’
It would be interesting to learn more about Ali’s life, considering he’s only really existed in the context of Rue’s addiction thus far. Domingo will reportedly start shooting with the rest of the cast in January 2025. With that in mind, we probably won’t see the new season until 2026. Check out what other upcoming A24 shows are on the way, here on CinemaBlend.
