“The Last of Us” fans, get ready for more suspense and drama as Season 2 is on the horizon. Neil Druckmann, the series creator and co-showrunner, confirmed that the next season is all outlined and prepared to commence production as soon as the strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA come to an end. Druckmann shared this exciting news while promoting the new “Last of Us” attraction at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.
“We’ve outlined all of Season 2, and we’re ready to go as soon as the strike ends,” Druckmann enthusiastically stated. He playfully added, “As far as the next game at Naughty Dog, I can’t say anything. My comms director over there will slaughter me.”
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Craig Mazin, the series co-creator, also chimed in, revealing that the script for the first episode of Season 2 had already been written and submitted to HBO right before the strike commenced. Despite their eagerness to start filming, the strikes have disrupted their original plans.
Mazin expressed his frustration, saying, “I think it’s becoming essentially a near certainty that we won’t be able to start [filming] when we were hoping to start, which is upsetting. We are all raring to go. This is what we are born to do. This is how we not only choose to live our lives, but I believe [how we] are compelled to live our lives. Otherwise, why the hell would we do this insane job? I can assure you it’s not for money.”
The first season of “The Last of Us” achieved tremendous success for HBO, becoming a ratings hit and receiving 25 Emmy nominations, including one for outstanding drama series. Stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were also recognized with acting nominations for their outstanding performances.
Season 2 of “The Last of Us” will adapt the second video game installment, “The Last of Us Part II.” However, Mazin has previously revealed that the adaptation will span more than just one season, ensuring fans get an in-depth experience of the game’s narrative.
“It’s more than one season,” Druckmann confirmed in an interview with GQ magazine, with Mazin adding, “You have noted correctly that we will not say how many [seasons will cover ‘Part II’]. But more than one is factually correct.”
Fans of Pedro Pascal, who plays the character Joel, can breathe a sigh of relief as the second season will deviate from the video game‘s storyline. In the game, Joel’s character is shockingly killed in the first act, leading to Ellie’s quest for revenge. How will HBO handle such a significant departure from the source material?
Pedro Pascal expressed his thoughts, stating, “It wouldn’t make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path.” He emphasized that this was his honest take on Season 2.
Craig Mazin added, “This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don’t fear killing characters. But the important thing to note is that neither Neil nor I feel constrained by the source material.”
“The Last of Us” Season 1 is currently available to stream on HBO Max, so fans can revisit the intense world of the series while eagerly anticipating the next installment.