AceShowbiz - "Euphoria" is set to return for its highly-anticipated third season on HBO, but it will come with a slew of changes that have fans eagerly speculating. According to HBO boss Casey Bloys, the beloved but gritty teen drama will feature a significant time jump that moves the core characters out of their high school years.

Bloys confirmed that the show's creator and writer, Sam Levinson, is hard at work on the new season. He told Variety, "Sam is working on it. There's been a lot of back and forth... One of the issues I think that Sam is thinking about is that he doesn't want to have it in high school anymore."

He explained, "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 to set it and all that stuff. But I think he's got a take that he's excited about, and he's busy writing."

The decision to move away from the high school setting has led to some complexities in planning, as Bloys described. However, changes don't end there. Levinson's vision for the third season includes a foray into the "film noir" genre, exploring themes of individual principles in a corrupt world, all told from Rue's perspective.

Despite speculation and rumors, Bloys reassures fans that the "same core cast" will be returning, mentioning names like Zendaya Coleman, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney and Hunter Schafer. This reassurance comes amidst the sad news of Angus Cloud's unexpected death and Barbie Ferreira's departure from the show.

Among the cast, there have been mixed feelings and uncertainty regarding the upcoming season. Zendaya has expressed her willingness to return if the storyline is right for her character, Rue. Schafer hopes that her character, Jules, can finally "chill out" in the new setting. Meanwhile, Elordi humorously noted, "I hope it's soon, or they're going to have to Benjamin Button me or something. I'm going to have a bad back walking down the hallway, you know?"

The end of season 2 saw Rue clean from drugs, attempting to rekindle friendships and several climactic events setting the stage for season 3. With a projected release date in 2025 due to delays caused by industry strikes, fans have a long wait ahead. However, HBO has reassured that the show's return is definite.

With Sam Levinson's intriguing new direction, the original cast's return and new thematic explorations, the third season of "Euphoria" promises to be as captivating and intense as ever, even beyond the hallways of East Highland High.

Stay tuned for more updates as we eagerly await the next chapter of "Euphoria".