“That show shouldn’t exist”: Zack Snyder Feels There is No Chance in Hell Zendaya’s Euphoria Can be Turned into a Movie and He is Absolutely Right
Euphoria has earned a massive following since its release, and its themes of teenage life, character development, and aesthetics have been widely appreciated. The HBO series created by Sam Levinson explores topics like addiction, mental illness, and self-identity through its storytelling.
However, the concept of adapting such a brilliant series into a movie has its own problems. Popular directors Zack Snyder and Joe Russo explain why Euphoria is better suited for television, and why its film adaptation is impossible.
Why Can’t Euphoria Be Made Into a Movie?
The series has great character development, with every main character having a well-developed backstory and psychological issues. Rue Bennett, portrayed by Zendaya, fights dr*g addiction, and viewers explore the character’s weaknesses and story throughout several episodes. This level of character development is possible only with enough time, which a movie cannot have.
In a conversation with the Russo brothers on AGBO Films YouTube, Snyder gives his opinions on the problems of a movie adaptation of series like Euphoria and Squid Game while showing his appreciation. He said,
They’re way riskier. ‘Euphoria,’ for instance, I was just watching the show [and] it’s just unbelievable. That show shouldn’t exist; it’s so good. And that’s the kind of thing I watch that show and go, ‘This movie would never get made; this movie can’t exist.
According to Zack Snyder, TV series like Euphoria are much better at exposing the audience to something new and catching them off guard. Adapting Zendaya’s character or any other character’s story into a two-hour film would compromise the richness of their characters.
Adding to Snyder’s opinions, Joe Russo said,
Why I think you’re saying TV is now in a golden age is that it is disrupting from a format standpoint. It’s 10 hours of content; it’s eight hours of content. You get a different emotional impact from killing a character five hours into a ten-hour story because you’ve spent five hours with that character versus an hour.
Euphoria has a very memorable feel due to its color grading, interesting lighting, and unique cinematography. This is an important aspect, as the show represents itself as dark and daring in vision. Although this style can be reproduced in a movie, it will be difficult to achieve the same level of stylistic consistency while balancing the time and resources required in film production.
Euphoria deals with many serious and controversial issues, including addiction, mental health, sexuality, and the impact of social media. Its episodic nature enables it to explore these issues in a thoughtful and challenging way. The makers get enough time to deliver the proper context and message of these sensitive issues in order to avoid any misconception. A movie may undermine their message.
Another aspect of the show that makes Euphoria so engaging in its long format is how it generates suspense and grows its narratives gradually. This format leaves cliffhangers that make the viewers remain tuned in week after week, waiting to see what will happen next. Adapting this type of slow-burn storytelling into the movie format is not possible.
The Unclear Status of Euphoria Season 3
The future of the third season of Euphoria has not been decided yet, which puts the viewers and actors in an uncertain position. Many actors in the show voiced their opinions, and it looks like the future of the Emmy-winning series is as unstable as the lives of the characters shown on the screen.
Jacob Elordi, who plays Nate in the series mentioned in The Tonight Show, would require CGI to make him look younger in case the shooting does not begin anytime soon.
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?
Sydney Sweeney hinted to The Hollywood Reporter that there could be a script soon and shooting might start soon, only to disappoint fans when HBO extended the shooting dates. It becomes clear why the network has allowed the cast members to produce other projects.
The most revealing are the remarks made by Nika King and Zendaya. King, who plays Zendaya’s mother in the show, hilariously deprives herself of her financial status in her TikTok video, where she says Zendaya should return.
People are like, ‘We need season 3.’ I’m like, ‘B*tch, I need season 3. I haven’t paid my rent in six months. And Zendaya’s over in Paris at Fashion Week, I’m like, ‘B*tch, come home! I need you! Mama need you!’
Newcomer Chloe Cherry recently revealed to the Daily Mail that she is completely out of the loop. Expressing her dejection, she said,
No one talks to me. They really don’t talk to me. I would definitely go back. But they just leave me in the dark, let’s just say that.
Moreover, Zendaya herself has no idea about the future of the show, even after being the executive producer. In an interview with Variety, she said that she has no idea and that it depends on the right time for the makers and the characters to make the third season possible.
As the fate of Euphoria hangs in the balance, one thing that is clear is that the cast is investing as much energy into the show as their characters, and waiting for the green signal seems equally unbearable for the cast and the viewers.
Euphoria is available on Max, Prime Video, Hulu, and other streaming platforms.
