Though the screening was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., none of the stars of the show even arrived until after that time. The audience started to get a little antsy about an hour later, even attempting to start a chant in the theater to get things going. Zendaya, wearing a stunning backless halter gown by Ashi Studio, was the last to arrive, and flew down the carpet and into the theater around 8 p.m., greeting friends and fans on her way to her seat. Sweeney, wearing a white archival Pierre Cardin dress, also made her way to her own seat, joining her current beau, Scooter Braun, and greeting him with a quick kiss.
“Many of you had to move mountains to make this schedule work,” HBO CEO Casey Bloys said to the stars ahead of the screening. “I want to thank you. Actually, I should thank your agents, lawyers, and managers who yelled at me several times over the last two years—but it all worked out.”
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson became emotional when he took the stage and spoke about the losses he and the cast and crew have suffered since they filmed season two—in particular, actor Angus Cloud, who died of a drug overdose in 2023. “When Angus died, it was tough. I loved him deeply and I fought hard to keep him clean,” said Levinson. “I learned a whole lot that year, but what I realized more than anything is that death is what gives life meaning. You’re forced to reckon with the fact that life itself is a wonder, a gift, a profound blessing.”
Levinson mentioned that this third season is inspired by the films of Howard Hawks, John Ford, Don Siegel, Sergio Leone, Quentin Tarantino, and his own father, Barry Levinson (who attended the premiere). The new season, which jumps in time five years, follows the characters in their post-high school lives. Zendaya’s Rue is attempting to pay off a debt as a drug mule. Cassie (Sweeney) and Nate (Elordi) are engaged and living in the suburbs. Jules (Schafer) is in art school, Lexi (Apatow) is pursuing a career as a TV writer, and Maddy (Demie) is working as a talent manager in Hollywood. The tone is a mix of Western, action-adventure, and noir, though it retains the strong visual storytelling that made the first two seasons such a sensation.
