Sydney Sweeney Finds Euphoria Replacement In New HBO Thriller

Published Sep 30, 2026, 3:54 PM EDT Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year. With a passion for all things books, Liz frequently attends Toronto literary events and conferences, and loves interacting with her book lover community. In addition to being an avid reader of the romance and thriller genres, Liz is a writer of several short stories, and is currently at work on a young adult witch novel. When she's not working, reading, or writing, Liz can be found seeing movies at her local cinema, attending live jazz events, or curling up on the couch to binge her favorite TV shows. You can reach her at liz.h@screenrant.com. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Euphoria may be over, but Sydney Sweeney doesn't appear ready to say goodbye to HBO just yet, based on her latest update on a long-gestating thriller. Though Sweeney's R-rated turn in Euphoria season 3 was her last on-screen role, the actress has largely left TV behind to pursue a movie career, so a return to her small-screen roots is a particularly exciting prospect. In 2020, The Hollywood Reporter first announced that Sweeney was developing The Players Table with her friend and collaborator, the singer Halsey. Based on Jessica Goodman's bestselling YA novel They Wish They Were Us, The Players Table takes place at an elite Long Island prep school ruled by Jill Newman (Sweeney) and her secret society, known as the "Players". Having lost her best friend three years earlier, Jill is determined to uncover the truth about her death and joins forces with the troubled Rachel Calloway (Halsey, in what would have been her acting debut), a former member of the Players. The Players Table got a promising development in 2021 when Deadline confirmed that the thriller adaptation was in development at HBO Max. Since that announcement, nothing has officially moved forward, which sounds like a case of development hell. However, Sweeney's latest statement on the project shows that hope is not lost. Sydney Sweeney Gave A Promising Update On HBO's The Players Table The Players Table is hardly the only project in Hollywood to be significantly delayed, and it's faced its share of setbacks. In a 2022 appearance on the Sprout podcast, Halsey revealed, "We’re still writing. We took a little bit of time. The project was a collaboration between myself, Sydney, and a company that was headed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who is an absolutely iconic and legendary auteur. And he passed really unexpectedly." "We’re taking our time with it because I think we have a lot of—there’s a lot of incentive to make it as best as it can possibly be for him and in honor of him," Halsey continued. "So we’re still writing. We’re going to make sure it’s perfect before it hits the screen." In 2023, Sweeney shared with Teen Vogue that she was three episodes into writing The Players Table until the Writers Guild of America strike stalled the project even further. There's also the fact that between then and now, Sweeney has been one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood, filming not only Euphoria season 3 but also myriad feature films, including Madame Web, The Housemaid, and Immaculate. It was at Immaculate's 2024 premiere at SXSW that Sweeney gave her latest — and very promising update — about The Players Table. When asked Collider's Perri Nemiroff if there's still hope that the series will come to fruition, Sweeney confirmed, "Yes there is." Hollywood · Rising Star Dossier How Well Do You Know Sydney Sweeney? From Euphoria to the big screen — test your knowledge 🎡EuphoriaCassie Howard 🏜WhiteLotusOlivia Mossbacher 📸AnyoneBut YouBea 🎬RealityWinner ⛫ImmaculateSister Cecilia TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT → 01 Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role on HBO’s “Euphoria” earned her widespread recognition. What is the name of her character on the show? AMaddy Perez BRue Bennett CCassie Howard DLexi Howard ✓ Correct! Sydney plays Cassie Howard, the emotionally vulnerable and people-pleasing teen whose turbulent love life becomes a central storyline. Her Season 2 performance — especially the iconic bathroom meltdown scenes — earned her an Emmy nomination. ✗ Not quite! The answer is Cassie Howard. Rue Bennett is Zendaya’s character, Maddy Perez is played by Alexa Demie, and Lexi Howard (Cassie’s sister) is played by Maude Apatow. Sydney’s Cassie became one of Season 2’s most talked-about characters. NEXT → 02 In the first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sydney plays a sharp, judgmental college student vacationing in Hawaii. What is her character’s name? ARachel Patton BOlivia Mossbacher CPaula DQuinn Mossbacher ✓ Correct! Sydney plays Olivia Mossbacher, the privileged and intellectually pretentious daughter of the Mossbacher family. Her deadpan delivery and snobbish attitude made Olivia a fan-favorite character in Mike White’s satirical hit. ✗ Not quite! The answer is Olivia Mossbacher. Rachel is Alexandra Daddario’s character, Paula is Brittany O’Grady’s role (Olivia’s best friend), and Quinn is Olivia’s younger brother. Sydney’s Olivia steals every scene with her cutting commentary. NEXT → 03 Before her major breakout, Sydney appeared in a critically acclaimed Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Which show was it? AThe Handmaid’s Tale BCastle Rock CThe Act DLittle Fires Everywhere ✓ Correct! Sydney played Eden Spencer in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a devout and obedient young bride in the oppressive Gilead regime. Despite being a recurring role, her performance was emotionally devastating and showed her dramatic range early on. ✗ Not quite! The answer is The Handmaid’s Tale. Sydney played Eden Spencer, a 15-year-old bride in Gilead during Season 2. It was one of her first major prestige TV roles and demonstrated the dramatic talent that would later explode with Euphoria. NEXT → 04 Sydney starred in the surprise rom-com hit “Anyone But You” (2023). Which actor plays her love interest, Ben, in the film? AJacob Elordi BAustin Butler CHarris Dickinson DGlen Powell ✓ Correct! Glen Powell plays Ben opposite Sydney’s Bea in this modern retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The film became a sleeper box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide and reviving the theatrical rom-com genre. ✗ Not quite! The answer is Glen Powell. While Jacob Elordi is Sydney’s Euphoria co-star, it’s Glen Powell who plays her enemies-to-lovers match in “Anyone But You.” The film’s massive success was credited to their electric chemistry. NEXT → 05 Sydney starred in and produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate.” Where is the film primarily set? AA haunted boarding school in England BA remote convent in the Italian countryside CAn abandoned hospital in France DA secluded monastery in Spain ✓ Correct! “Immaculate” is set in a remote Italian convent where Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a young American nun who discovers the institution harbors terrifying secrets. Sydney also served as a producer on the film, marking a significant step in her behind-the-camera career. ✗ Not quite! The answer is a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Sydney plays Sister Cecilia, a devout young nun who travels to Italy only to find herself trapped in a nightmare. The film was shot on location in Italy and showcased Sydney’s range as both star and producer. NEXT → 06 Sydney made Emmy history in 2022 by earning two acting nominations in the same year for two different HBO shows. “Euphoria” was one — what was the other? ASharp Objects BSuccession CThe White Lotus DThe Handmaid’s Tale ✓ Correct! In 2022, Sydney earned a Supporting Actress nomination for “Euphoria” and a Limited Series Supporting Actress nomination for “The White Lotus” — both on HBO. Being double-nominated across two of the network’s biggest shows cemented her as one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood. ✗ Not quite! The answer is The White Lotus. Sydney’s dual nominations for Euphoria and The White Lotus in the same Emmy cycle was a remarkable achievement. Both shows were critical and commercial hits for HBO, and Sydney was central to each. NEXT → 07 In the 2023 HBO film “Reality,” Sydney plays a real-life person — an NSA whistleblower who leaked classified documents to the press. Who did she portray? AReality Winner BChelsea Manning CTerry Albury DNatalie Mayflower Sours Edwards ✓ Correct! Sydney portrays Reality Winner, the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2017 for leaking a classified report on Russian election interference. The film recreates her FBI interrogation using actual transcript recordings and was praised for Sydney’s riveting, restrained performance. ✗ Not quite! The answer is Reality Winner. The HBO film is based on the real FBI interrogation of Reality Winner, who leaked classified intelligence documents. Sydney’s intense, dialogue-driven performance was widely praised as some of her finest dramatic work. NEXT → 08 Beyond acting, Sydney is known for an unusual hobby she’s been passionate about since she was a teenager, even earning a competition-level certification. What is it? AProfessional-level baking BCompetitive horseback riding CSurfing competitions DMMA-trained fighter / restoring vintage cars ✓ Correct! Sydney is famously a trained MMA fighter and a gearhead who restores classic cars. She’s been passionate about mixed martial arts since high school and has also shared her love of working on vintage automobiles — hobbies that surprised fans who only knew her from her on-screen roles. ✗ Not quite! The answer is MMA training and restoring vintage cars. Sydney trained in MMA as a teenager and still practices. She’s also a self-taught mechanic who restores classic cars in her spare time — she’s shared her work on social media, showing there’s much more to her than meets the eye. REVEAL MY SCORE → Spotlight · Final Review Your Fan Score 🌟 / 8 Superfan or casual viewer? ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ The actress also expressed confidence in the project, saying, "I think there's a lot of different themes and characters that will play into our generation and I think that there's going to be the mystery, the thrills. I also love a good, like soapy drama. So I think people will want to eat it up." While there's been no word on The Players Table since, that's certainly a ringing endorsement. How Sydney Sweeney's The Players Table Role Compares To Cassie In Euphoria Given that Sweeney was in her early twenties when The Players Table was first announced, it begs the question of whether she, now 29 years old, will still play Jill, a high school senior, should the project continue. It would likely raise a few eyebrows, but Sweeney is hardly averse to taking risks and bold swings. Jill Newman also presents a fascinating juxtaposition to Sweeney's Euphoria character, Cassie Howard. Though Cassie comes from more modest means than Jill, on the outside, they're quite similar, as both are beautiful, popular, and admired. However, Cassie is defined by her passivity, sacrificing her own agency and best interests to serve her romantic relationships, no matter how toxic. In contrast, Jill is a young woman who takes action. She has everything she could ever want; it doesn't behoove her to poke around in a closed murder investigation, but the truth and justice are more important. Hopefully, Sydney Sweeney succeeds in bringing The Players Table to the screen, and we can compare the characters for ourselves.