Euphoria Might Be Over: What Exactly Went Wrong With Its Creator Sam Levinson?
Maybe it is the right decision to end the show after two seasons.
The decision to release a third season of Euphoria (which is now in limbo) when all the actors no longer look like teenagers is not the strangest thing Sam Levinson has done. The director is often at the center of scandalous discussions.
Numerous Disagreements With Actresses
Barbie Ferreira played Kat in Euphoria. The character's storyline took up a significant portion of the first season, but was greatly reduced in the second, and later Ferreira announced her departure from the project.
According to the actress, it was a mutual decision because Barbie did not want to continue playing a supporting role and Sam could not come up with anything better.
Sydney Sweeney, who played Cassie, also expressed dissatisfaction: this time, the problem was Levinson's constant desire to undress the actress on camera. In the first season, Sweeney appeared topless several times, although she felt it was not necessary. By the second season, Sydney realized it wasn't working and expressed her dissatisfaction.
Things even went wrong with Zendaya, Levinson's former creative muse. The actress was confident that Sam would write the third season of Euphoria – instead, he moved on to The Idol. Zendaya even asked to meet with HBO executives, but the negotiations went nowhere.
After The Idol became a real flop and scored 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, the actress began to worry about her own reputation: she is known as Levinson's friend and business partner, and the director's image suffered greatly after the release of the scandalous series.
Drama On the Set
In 2022, a SAG-AFTRA representative was sent to the set of Euphoria because filming could last up to 17 hours. Maude Apatow said filming could start at 6 p.m. and end at 5 a.m., while Jacob Elordi compared the working process to hell.
The controversial The Idol was also created through hardship: Amy Seimetz had filmed 80 percent of the show when Levinson decided in April 2022 that it was time to take over directing duties himself, lest the series become too skewed toward the female point of view.
According to those involved in the filming process, after Seimetz left, the show became a twisted love story with plenty of nudity and explicit scenes, whereas before it was the story of a pop star battling a predatory industry.
Accusation of Theft of Ideas
Then photographer and director Petra Collins accused Sam Levinson of stealing ideas for Euphoria. Petra is no stranger to the industry: she directed most of Olivia Rodrigo's videos, shot for Carly Rae Jepsen and Cardi B, and is also known for her dream and fog-inspired campaigns.
In 2023, Petra spoke about her interaction with Levinson: the director himself wrote to Collins and offered to participate in the creation of the show because he was inspired by her photographs.
Petra moved to Los Angeles and worked at HBO for about five months. She created a whole world for the show and held auditions. But at the last minute, HBO representatives said they would not hire her because she was too young.