HBO's 'Euphoria' Teaser Starring Zendaya Previews A Wild High School Adventure

As a society, we have collectively been dying for Drake to return to television ever since his iconic turn in Degrassi. Well, the time has finally come — sort of. Drake is producing a new show for HBO titled Euphoria, starring Zendaya, and it's the closest we've come to getting Aubrey Graham back on our TV screens, and it's certainly a doozy. The first Euphoria teaser trailer featuring Zendaya was released on Thursday, April 11, and not only does it tease the young actor's newest role, it also confirmed Euphoria's premiere date: June 16.

The premise of Euphoria is relatively simple. As per HBO’s description, the show “follows a group of high school students as they navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma, and social media.” But as all present and former students know, there’s perhaps nothing more complicated in life than the typical high school struggles — at least in their minds.

The new teaser lives up to its premise, with shots of Zendaya running down a deserted road, interspersed with flashing clips of romance, tragedy, and reckless teenage debauchery. “I promise you, if I could be a different person, I would, not because I want to, but because they do,” her character says in a chilling voiceover. “At some point, you have to make a choice. About who you are. And what you want. And therein lies the catch.” It’s not completely known what that catch is, but her impassioned speech certainly sounds intriguing.

In Euphoria, Zendaya stars as Rue, described as a lying, drug-addicted 17-year-old, per Variety. The Spider-Man actor leads an ensemble cast of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors, including Maude Apatow (Girls), Austin Abrams (The Walking Dead), Storm Reid (A Wrinkle In time), Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth), Alexa Demie (mid90s), Algee Smith (Detroit), and Sydney Sweeney (Sharp Objects). The show will also feature Grey's Anatomy's McSteamy, Eric Dane, though his character doesn't appear in the short teaser.

The show is actually an American adaptation of the popular Russian show of the same name, and while it's unclear how faithful the adaptation will be, rest assured: even if the new show is a carbon copy of its predecessor, it’s sure to be totally salacious. As reported by W, the Russian show was based on the true story of Isreali teenager Ra'anan Levy, who died after getting into a tragic fight at a nightclub. The original Euphoria also reportedly featured characters with unique arcs, including a teen who enters the world of pornography and gets body dysmorphia, and a young gay man who moves in with an older couple. So, don't expect Zendaya's new show to do anything other than push the envelope.

Based on the little we know, it's obvious that the young star is getting ready to show fans a brand new side of herself. One that is far from the Disney Channel starlet she started out as on Shake It Up. The role is even a far cry from her Spider-Man character, ensuring that fans are going to see the actor like they've never seen her before.