Rue is All Smiles in "Euphoria" Season 2 First Look

Season one of the controversial new show Euphoria was such a big hit, it's no surprise that HBO renewed the series for a second season. The show, which is HBO's first major-teen-centered program, stars Zendaya, who plays Rue, a teenage drug addict that befriends Jules, a trans girl at their school. It's a dark and gritty look at the pressures of modern teen life and it's proven to be extremely popular among HBO's younger audience.

So, what will round two of Euphoria have in store? Here's everything we know about the upcoming season:

Has a trailer for season 2 been released?

HBO has yet to release an official trailer for season 2, however, fans can catch a quick glimpse of Rue in a new first look. HBO Max aired a trailer showcasing its upcoming programming during the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday. The first look featured quick two shots of Rue, who danced like nobody's business and wore the biggest smile. Check it out below.

What is season 2 about?

There aren't any explicit details about the upcoming season of Euphoria just yet, but assuming it resumes after the 2-part holiday special that aired earlier this year, there may be some growth for Rue and Jules (a.k.a our OTP for life, Rules).

However, Zendaya recently graced the October 2021 cover of British Vogue, and she had a little something to say when it comes to Rue's journey and character development in season 2.

"When we have all this really dark sh-t – especially this season breaks my heart for Rue – there's a glimmer of hope because I know that she is a version of [creator Sam Levinson]," she told the outlet.

Sam Levinson also dished on the vibes of season 2 in the British Vogue interview, saying that "it's such a brutal season."

"What I love the most about Z is she's able to go to those dark places and then as soon as I call cut, she's hanging out behind the monitor, eating Cheesecake Factory and cracking jokes," he said of the filming process.

While promoting her film, Space Jam: A New Legacy in July 2021, Zendaya spilled more details about season 2 of Euphoria (which is a complete 180 when it comes to roles — can we talk about her range?). In an interview with Teen Vogue, she admitted that it's a "difficult season" for her character, Rue.

"It's a challenging season. It's gonna be hard and it's gonna be devastating sometimes, but I think Rue really deserves all of that care when it comes to her character, because I think she represents a lot for so many people," she told Teen Vogue. "And I hope to make those people proud with our depictions of Rue [and] where all the characters go. I think this season's not going to be easy, though. It’s not going to be a fun watch, I don't think."

Are there any new clips?

Zendaya just gave Euphoria fans a special gift for the show's second anniversary. As we all await the show's second season, Zendaya dropped a brand new clip featuring Rue and Jules back at school.

"Happy 2 year @euphoriaHBO anniversary…see you soon :)"

Hopefully, the "see you soon" means that the series will be coming back sooner rather than later, but at least we can watch this sweet little moment on repeat until then.

When will season two start filming?

Looks like the cast of Euphoria are back at it for the show's second season. Zendaya posted photos from the set on May 4 showing after it was announced that the series was nominated for a Peabody Award.

Zendaya uploaded pictures on her Instagram story featuring fellow co-star Angus Cloud, lighting technician Danny Durr and another crew member named Alex.

She also posted a photo of her on the lot where they film Euphoria writing, "Just being back here in general...missed it."

Will there be any new characters?

We can expect a brand new face to come and shake things up in the second season of Euphoria. In a casting call posted on Backstage, the show is looking for a 18+ Black Male/Non-Binary actor to play a new character who is described as, "an outsider. Might have a drug problem, might not. Mischievous. Funny. Unafraid. Sensitive."

Are there any trailers?

The first bridge episode finally got a trailer release and it gives us the ultimate sneak peek as to what to expect. "Part 1: Rue" will focus on what happens to her after the end of season 1. Based off what is shown, Rue decides to reach out to her sponsor after relapsing, which will no doubt bring up some questions. The special will air on December 6 starting at 9 PM ET.

Check out the trailer below:

When will the special bridge episodes be released?

Zendaya just gave Euphoria fans the ultimate early holiday gift when she announced that the first special bridge episode will be released on December 6.

"We really missed them. Two special Euphoria episodes coming soon. First one December 6th on @hbo," she wrote on her Instagram.

According to Deadline, "The first bonus episode, titled 'Trouble Don’t Last Always,' follows Rue as she celebrates Christmas. It was written and directed by series creator Sam Levinson and also stars Colman Domingo, who appeared in Season 1. Both episodes were produced under COVID-19 guidelines."

Based on Zendaya's post, Hunter Schafer is also set to appear, but no word on if any other familiar faces will also be dropping by. So set your calendars because you definitely don't want to miss this!

When will Season 2 be released?

Looks like the wait for Euphoria Season 2 might take a little longer than expected. Zendaya confirmed that they are currently not filming the new season, but are actually shooting a couple of bridge episodes to bring season one and two together.

"All I can really say is that Season 2 won't happen for a while, but we do have a couple bridge episodes that we're shooting currently that aren't really part of Season 1 or Season 2 but kind of give people a little something different with Euphoria to hold us over a little bit until we're able to do a full Season 2," she told Entertainment Tonight. "But I'm very happy with the work that we're doing so far, and I can't wait for everyone to see it, really."

According to HBO President Casey Boyes, the bridge episodes will actually be "special COVID episodes" that will show what happens between the seasons. Season 2 is expected to start filming in 2021, as reported by Deadline.

Have they started production?

Yes! The Euphoria twitter posted two photos from what looks to be a table read for Season 2, meaning production has officially started. One photo shows Zendaya sitting with Angus Cloud, who plays drug dealer Fezco.

Another shot is simply of Zendaya, who honestly looks so happy to be back with her cast mates, and I don't blame her.

Sydney Sweenie, who played Cassie in season one also shared a pic from the table read on her Instagram story, meaning she will be making a return as well.

Along with the photos, the Twitter account promised to take fans "behind the scenes as no show has before...period," so get excited for a ton of great content from their account. Hopefully we will even get some shots of Zendaya and Jacob Elordi canoodling on set.

So, that means Euphoria Season 2 is really happening?

Yup! HBO has announced that Euphoria's new season is officially happening. "Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has built an incredible world with an extraordinary cast led by the supremely talented Zendaya," said Francesca Orsi, executive VP of HBO programming, "We are so grateful that he chose HBO as the home for this groundbreaking series. We look forward to following these complex characters as their journeys continue through the challenging world they inhabit."

Zendaya shared the news on her Instagram story, posting a tweet from HBO PR with the caption, "just got the call..."

What will Season 2 be about?

Since the show was just renewed for a second season, and we haven't even finished season one, it's unclear what the next chapter of the series will be about. We can assume from Francesca's statement above, that the show will continue to tell the story of Rue, Jules, and the rest of the cast as they make their way through the struggles of daily teenage life.

"I do miss Rue. She's like my little sister in a lot of ways. And going back to that character is a home base for me," said Zendaya in an interview with InStyle. "There is a beautiful second season that has been written, but in order to do it the way we want to do it, we need to wait until it's safer. There is an idea to do a couple of bridge episodes that can be shot safely but aren't necessarily part of Season 2. So, hopefully, we will be able to do those in the coming months. I can't wait."

Who will return for Season 2?

While we don't have too much info on Season 2 just yet, we can assume that most of the characters from season one will be returning. From what the Euphoria twitter account has showed so far, we know that both Zendaya and Angus will be back as Rue and Fezco. And, since Syndey was also at the table read, that means she will be back as Cassie.

On top of that, we can probably expect the rest of the main cast to be returning as well, though we will probably gain more information as production continues.

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