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Hunter Schafer has expressed concerns that filming the third season of Euphoria will be too emotional following the death of Angus Cloud.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes actor, 25, starred in HBO’s hit teen drama as Jules Vaughn alongside Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Barbie Ferreira and Cloud, who died from an accidental overdose in July last year.
Schafer broke down in tears when asked about the status of Euphoria season three, which has been significantly delayed due to the cast’s conflicting filming schedules as well as the tragic death of their co-star, who played Fezco O’Neill on the show.
Speaking to Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, a tearful Schafer said: “A lot has happened. It’s hard to talk about. We’ve had deaths. I’m going to get emotional. I think everyone feels a certain sense of anticipation for if we are supposed to do season three.”
She continued: “Obviously, I’m still coming to terms with what’s happened - losing people that we really loved that were a part of this family. If we do go back, that’s going to be tough. There’s a world in which we can channel that into making it a beautiful season three if it is supposed to happen but that sh*t [it] really threw everyone through a loop.”
Schafer admitted there are “industry political” reasons Euphoria season three still has no production date. “But [grief] is emotionally a big part of what’s happening too,” she said.
A year on from Cloud’s sudden death, the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star admitted she is still stunned by grief over the loss of her friend at the most unexpected times. “It will hit me when I’m on the f***ing toilet, out of nowhere,” she said. “It’s crazy.”
Last September, the Alameda County Coroner confirmed that Cloud died from an accidental overdose. Fentanyl, cocaine, benzodiazepine, and methamphetamine were found in his system at the time of death. The actor suffered acute intoxication as a result of the combination of drugs.
In the statement announcing his death, it was noted that Cloud had attended his father’s funeral in Ireland just a week before and had “intensely struggled with this loss”.
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When asked about the likelihood of Euphoria season three after delays to the filming schedule and reported disagreements about which direction the series is heading in, HBO executives told reporters the show would still go ahead.
“There’s been a lot of back and forth,” HBO executive Casey Bloys told Variety. “One of the issues I think that [creator and showrunner Sam Levinson] is thinking about is that he doesn’t want to have it in high school anymore.”
Bloys continued, “That’s where it was set and what made sense then. So when you take it out of that, there’s a lot of back and forth about where to set it and how far in the future. But I think he’s got a take that he’s excited about, and he’s busy writing”.
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