HBO’s first-ever teenage drama, Euphoria, premiered in June 2019 and has been giving much to talk about ever since. Considered one of the best series of the past year (The Guardian), Euphoria’s second season is heavily anticipated by the fans, although its production has been affected by the ongoing COVID pandemic.
24-year-old Zendaya gives life to Rue, the protagonist and narrator of this powerful story. Rue’s portrayal made Zendaya become the youngest actress in history to win the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series also won awards for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Last August on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Zendaya revealed to guest host Ben Platt that they would probably make a bridge episode with a limited amount of people in a safe environment. Before lockdown began, Euphoria’s cast had already done table readings and wardrobe fittings for season two, but production had to be shut down right before shooting.
The COVID pandemic has halted film and television production all over the world. Some productions, however, have opted to incorporate COVID-themed storylines into their plots, such as Grey’s Anatomy and This Is Us. Euphoria’s creator and director, Sam Levinson, found a way around this impediment and recorded an entire feature film inside a house, starring Zendaya. His film, called Malcolm and Marie, was shot during lockdown within two weeks between June and July.
Although Euphoria’s second season might not be released anytime soon, HBO’s president recently confirmed to Deadline that a “special COVID episode” is currently in the works. Additionally, after her Emmy win, Zendaya revealed to ET that they are currently shooting “a couple of bridge episodes” that are not part of either season one or two but aim to give the fans “something to live on” until they are fully able to go into the next season. “I’m very happy with the work that we’re doing so far, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it, really”, she said to ET. This special episode will make the plot feel even more real and sincere to its audience since the series already has a lot of accurate depictions and insight on what it means to be a teenager nowadays. The worldwide struggle that has come with lockdowns and the virus could potentially be reflected episode. On September 12th, a couple of videos surfaced on TikTok from a group of fans who visited Euphoria’s set and were surprised by Zendaya and Hunter Schafer, who went to greet them wearing masks to protect themselves. This was highly likely to be the shooting of the special episodes to come.
The shooting of Euphoria’s second season is set to begin in March 2021.