Storm Reid won’t return for Season 3 of HBO’s gritty teen drama “Euphoria,” The Occasions has confirmed.
The actor, who performed Gia Bennett within the Emmy-winning sequence, mentioned earlier this week that her character won’t seem within the much-delayed third season.
“I’m very excited for Season 3,” the Emmy-winning “The Last of Us” star instructed Rotten Tomatoes on the Governors Awards on Monday. “Unfortunately, Gia’s not returning to the third season, but I am so, so indebted to the cast and the crew of that show, to HBO. ‘Euphoria’s’ a really special thing and I’m so glad that that’s a part of my legacy and that I was a part of such a cultural phenomenon.
“I’m forever grateful, forever indebted and I can’t wait to see what Season 3 has in store. I’m very excited,” she added.
The “A Wrinkle in Time” star, 21, didn’t say why she wouldn’t be returning and representatives for the actor on Wednesday didn’t instantly reply to The Occasions’ requests for remark. Representatives for HBO declined to touch upon Wednesday when reached by The Occasions.
Zendaya, left, and Storm Reid in Season 2, Episode 6 of “Euphoria.”
(Eddy Chen / HBO )
The “Euphoria” actor has been enrolled as a pupil on the College of Southern California the place she is majoring in dramatic arts and minoring in African American research. She performed the long-suffering youthful sister to Zendaya’s Rue Bennett within the angsty teen drama that chronicles Rue’s struggles with sobriety, together with dishonest, intercourse scandals and different specific storylines ensnaring these in her highschool pal group. Gia, who acquired right into a screaming match with Rue over the “idea” of her sister taking over smoking weed once more, was largely sidelined in Season 2 however did partake in a confrontational scene with their mom (Nika King).
“Euphoria,” which additionally stars Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Hunter Schafer, debuted in June 2019. Season 2, which earned Zendaya her second consecutive lead actress Emmy Award, started airing in January 2022 after two standalone specials. The sequence was renewed in February 2022 even earlier than the airing of its chaotic-yet-pivotal finale that sees Rue hitting all-time low.
Nonetheless, Season 3 was positioned on maintain as present creator Sam Levinson took over directing duties on the ill-fated HBO sequence, “The Idol.” Manufacturing was additionally hampered in the course of the writers’ and actors strikes final 12 months, additional delaying Season 3. If the brand new chapter premieres subsequent 12 months, it will return six years after the discharge of Season 1.
In the meantime, Zendaya, Sweeney and Elordi’s stars have continued to rise as they took on further high-profile initiatives forward of and in the course of the manufacturing hole. Reviews about behind-the scenes drama, alleged friction between Zendaya and Levinson, the departure of forged member Barbie Ferreira and the demise of actor Angus Cloud additionally referred to as the brand new season into query.
In July, HBO confirmed that filming is slated to start in early 2025. Earlier this month, HBO and Max boss Casey Bloys mentioned the sequence remains to be on monitor to start out taking pictures in January and its stars’ separate manufacturing schedules won’t battle.
“We are shooting ‘Euphoria,’ ” he mentioned at a press occasion, in keeping with Selection. “I think we have a start date, mid to late January. Nothing’s changed. Somebody said something online, and then this whole thing started. We are shooting the season. I have read the scripts. We’re happy. We’re moving ahead.”
Bloys additionally mentioned that “all of the actors are in the show,” however didn’t point out the departure of Reid or Ferreira.
“I know the show gets a lot of attention now because, you know, it has created some genuine movie stars, and they have various projects that [they] are working on, but we are shooting this season, so nothing has changed. It’s eight episodes.”
Sweeney, Schafer, Elordi, Colman Domingo, Eric Dane, Maude Apatow and Dominic Fike have all mentioned they might be again or can be on board for reprising their roles. And each Zendaya and Elordi have hinted {that a} time soar is probably going in retailer for the brand new installment given how a lot time has handed between Seasons 2 and three.
Levinson, in a summer season 2023 interview with Elle, has described the subsequent chapter as a “film noir” and revealed that Zendaya’s character will function a automobile to “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.”
