Zendaya’s Sexy New Release Just Broke An Impressive Record

A series starring Zendaya just hit an impressive record with its second season premiere. The increased numbers are likely tied to the star

By Doug Norrie | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Zendaya is fresh off a couple of blockbuster movies this year, quickly becoming one of the most recognizable and sought-after talents in the industry. And it appears that huge films on the big screen aren’t the only area she can crush it. She’s got hits on the small screen as well. A series of hers just became one of the best-performing shows that HBO Max has had with Euphoria debuting its second season to big numbers on the streamer. Deadline is reporting that series premiere for the second season was its best performer on any of the company’s digital services since debuting about a year ago. 

It’s something of a surprise that Euphoria had such a strong second-season opening, with a reported 2.4 million viewers tuning in through streaming to catch the series. According to the reporting, this number is about nine times higher than what the series did for its first season pilot episode. There’s a good chance this increase in popularity is nearly 1:1 tied to Zendaya and her star being on the rise right now. Considering she stars in the series and is considerably more recognizable than when the show first debuted, carrying her presence into the series for a second season is likely a big reason it’s making such huge gains. 

Euphoria follows Zendaya as Rue Bennett, a high school student growing up in Los Angeles who is dealing with a myriad of problems. Substance abuse is at the forefront here with the character struggling to stay sober (but not really) while also dealing with all of the trials and tribulations of teenage existence. The series is decidedly rated-R, cutting no corners when it comes to just how brutal and unstable this time of life can be for folks. Heck, Zendaya even took to Instagram before the Season 2 premiere to remind people that the subject matter in the show could be “triggering” and “difficult to watch”. 

And as stated, the success Euphoria is seeing right now is likely, at least in some part, tied directly to how popular Zendaya has become over the last couple of years. She is coming off her run as MJ with Spider-Man: No Way Home releasing a few weeks ago. The record-setting box office pace for the movie has put it in rarified air and it’s currently sitting in the top-10 of highest earners in the history of film. What Zendaya brought to the screen as the character, a perfect running mate for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was just one of the many reasons this trilogy of films worked so well. 

Plus, Zendaya was in another massive movie just a couple of months ago as well when Dune was released in theaters and on HBO Max. She played Chani, the Fremen love interest for Timothee Chalamat’s Paul Atreides. Though she had a smaller role in this film, her time on screen will grow considerably when the sequel finally hits. It’s set to deal with the second half of the Frank Herbert novel and will feature the character much more. In all, Zendaya has become one of the premier talents in the industry and it’s easy to see why her latest show is turning in big numbers.