Don’t fear, Season 2 will not be the last of “The Last of Us.” IndieWire can announce that HBO has renewed the hit series for a third season ahead of its Season 2 premiere.
“The Last of Us” stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The Season 2 logline reads: “Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.” Season 2 debuts Sunday, April 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, Jeffrey Wright, and Catherine O’Hara also star in the seven-episode Season 2. Craig Mazin and video game creator Neil Druckmann are co-showrunners for the series. “The Last of Us” is based on the acclaimed video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation consoles, with Mazin and Druckmann writing and executive producing. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells, with writer/co-executive producer Halley Gross.
“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of ‘The Last of Us’ is,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said. “Craig, Neil, Carolyn, and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”
Mazin, the creator, executive producer, writer, and director, added, “We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of ‘The Last of Us’ with Season 3!”
Druckmann continued, “To see ‘The Last of Us’ brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of ‘The Last of Us’!”
Mazin previously confirmed that Season 3 will be “significantly larger” in scope. The co-showrunners are planning for at least four seasons, as Mazin told Deadline in 2024.
“I love making the show,” Mazin said. “The scope of this thing is at times absolutely massive. And Season 3 promises to be just as big if not bigger. I don’t see a world where we go through and we go, that’s shorter than we thought. We are committed to delivering people great seasons and arcs, and HBO was amazing about this. They let us pick that natural spot. Instead of us having to figure out how to create seasons around an artificial number, we create the length of the seasons around the story and how we are telling it.”
