'Euphoria' Renewed for Season 2 by HBO

Euphoria, the controversial teen drama starring Spider-Man: Far From Home star Zendaya, was [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Euphoria, the controversial teen drama starring Spider-Man: Far From Home star Zendaya, was renewed for a second season by HBO on Thursday. The show has earned acclaim for its frank and graphic depiction of a group of high school students living through the added scrutiny of modern life as they battle addictions and insecurities.

HBO confirmed the show was picked up for a second season Thursday afternoon. The early renewal comes less than a month after it debuted on Sunday, June 16.

"Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has built an incredible world with an extraordinary cast led by the supremely talented Zendaya. We are so grateful that he chose HBO as the home for this groundbreaking series," HBO programming EVP Francesca Orsi said in a statement. "We look forward to following these complex characters as their journeys continue through the challenging world they inhabit."

After the series premiere aired, HBO said the first episode earned 577,000 viewers, with the number climbing to 1 million with HBO Go/Now streaming views included. The episode has now been seen by 5.5 million viewers, according to the network. It was the most-streamed premiere for HBO since Westworld.

Euphoria was created by Sam Levinson and based on the Israeli drama of the same name by Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin and Tmira Yardeni.

The ensemble cast includes Zendaya as Rue, a 17-year-old recovering drug addict; Maude Apatow as Rue's friend Lexi; Argus Cloud as Fezco; Eric Dane as Cal; Alexa Demie as Maddy; Jacob Elordi as Nate; Barbie Ferreira as Kat; Nika King as Leslie; Storm Reid as Gia; Hunger Schafer as Jules; Algee Smith as Chris; and Sydney Sweeney as Cassie.

Even before the show debuted, there was buzz over its explicit depiction of sex, drug use and trauma, all involving teens. Zendaya, who gained fame as a star in child-friendly Disney Channel sitcoms, even felt the need to warn her fans on social media that the show might not be appropriate for all audiences.

"Just a reminder before tonight's premiere, that Euphoria is for mature audiences," Zendaya wrote on her Twitter and Instagram pages. "It's a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today. There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch and can be triggering. Please only watch if you feel you can handle it. Do what's best for you. I will still love you and feel your support. Love, Daya."

New episodes of Euphoria air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET and are available to stream on HBO's streaming platforms.

This is a breaking story and will continue to be updated.

Photo credit: HBO

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