"The Last of Us" Showrunner Prepares for Fan "Furor" Ahead of Season 2
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*Spoilers for HBO’s The Last of Us ahead!*
The Last of Us became an instant hit when it premiered on HBO in early 2023, and almost immediately after its debut, the time-jumping, post-apocalyptic series was renewed for season 2. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us follows survivor Joel (Pascal), who, 20 years after a fungal infection devastated society, is tasked to help immune Ellie (Ramsey) escape a strict quarantine zone and reach doctors who hope to develop a vaccine from the 14-year-old’s blood.
After bringing in 4.7 million U.S. viewers across HBO and HBO Max, The Last of Us, based on the PlayStation adventure-horror video game of the same name, became the second most-watched series to debut on the network in over a decade. The series continued to pick up steam, surging to 7.5 million viewers in the third consecutive week of audience growth after episode 4. Leading up to its season finale, The Last of Us delivered a new series high of 8.1 million viewers for episode 8, its penultimate episode.
If you’ve binge-watched The Last of Us season 1 (once, twice, multiple times) and are craving more, here’s everything you need to know about The Last of Us season 2.
Is The Last of Us officially coming back for season 2?
Right before the series aired its third episode, executive producers and showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin confirmed that The Last of Us has been renewed for season 2. “I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey,” Druckmann said in a press release, per The Hollywood Reporter. “The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast and crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations. Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two!”
“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” Mazin said about the renewal. “The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”
Has The Last of Us begun filming season 2?
While viewers of the hit series are wondering what’s next for the record-breaking show, The Last Of Us star Pedro Pascal dropped a major hint about when the series could begin filming the highly-anticipated follow-up season. Pascal was asked if the series could begin filming this year during a February 2023 interview with Collider, and he jokingly replied, “In the year 2023? Oh, what season are we in now? We're getting into spring.” When asked to clarify, Pascal explained, “Yes, there is a chance. Yes.” So, it looks like Joel and Ellie may embark on a new journey sooner rather than later.
According to a March 2023 report by Deadline, the second season of the hit HBO series is set to film in Vancouver, Canada. Per the outlet, fans of The Last Of Us II video game already know that an important part of Joel and Ellie’s story takes place in the Pacific Northwest. HBO has yet to share details on the specific storyline for season 2, but chances are it will be based on the second installment of the best-selling video game of the same name.
What will season 2 of The Last of Us be about?
As mentioned, the plot for season 2 is still under wraps but according to Ramsey, it’s more harrowing than the first. “It’s darker,” the actor revealed in a June 2023 interview with Vanity Fair. “It’s really a story about revenge, and a continuation from the first season about the dangers of unconditional love.”
After season 1’s cliffhanger finale, Joel may grapple with the consequences of his decision not to let Ellie undergo surgery with the Fireflies doctors, which could have found a cure for the infectious disease that has shifted civilization. He might also have to deal with Ellie’s reaction if the 14-year-old discovers his lie about the surgery (that the doctors unsuccessfully found a cure in other people who are immune).
“It’s quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later. And perhaps different kinds,” Mazin told Variety. He also addressed concerns over the amount of action in the series’ first season, compared to the video game it’s based on.
“Ultimately, we generally stressed the power of relationships and trying to find significance within moments of action,” Mazin said. “And so, there may be less action than some people wanted [in season one] because we couldn’t necessarily find significance for quite a bite of it, or [there was] concern that it would be repetitive. After all, you’re not playing it, you’re watching it. And although a lot of people do like to watch gameplay, it needs to be a little more focused and purposeful when we’re putting it on TV.”
Mazin and Druckmann previously confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the show wouldn’t waste time before jumping into The Last of Us Part II video game. “I don’t like filler,” Mazin said.
Will Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return for The Last of Us season 2?
Although casting hasn’t been officially announced yet, it’s safe to assume that both Pascal and Ramsey will return as Joel and Ellie in season 2. Some fans were worried that Ramsey wouldn’t reprise their role, given the five-year time jump that happens in The Last of Us Part II video game, but showrunners Mazin and Druckmann confirmed that the actor will return in a March 2023 interview with The Wrap.
While we can’t picture any other actor as Joel, Mazin revealed in a June 19 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that Pascal almost wasn’t cast. Instead, Matthew McConaughey was considered for the role of the survivor. “I did talk to Matthew. I can’t say that it was a series [of conversations]. It was more of a, ‘Hey, here’s something to talk about,’” Mazin explained, per People.
But, “Pedro was on our list from the start,” he continued. “We were told he was unavailable, and then as we were floundering about a little bit, I got a call from his agent who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available.’” OK yup, we’re already emotional thinking of Pascal in season 2.
Will The Last of Us season 2 cover the events in the game over the course of one season?
Good news, The Last of Us fans. Not only will the series return for season 2, but the story will span across multiple (!!) seasons. Both Mazin and Druckmann confirmed the news during an interview with GQ UK. When asked if it’s possible for the second season to encompass the storyline that remains in the video game, Mazin replied, “No. No way,” before Druckmann added, “It’s more than one season.”
When the GQ staffer noticed that the show’s co-creators mentioned more than one more future season, they inquired about how many it would entail. “You have noted correctly that we will not say how many. But more than one is factually correct,” Mazin laughed. Druckmann continued, “Some of the stuff I’m most excited for [in part 2] are the changes we’ve discussed and seeing the story come to life again in this other version. And I think it’s exciting because it leans into those feelings you had from the game, really heavily, in a new way.”
In a July 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mazin revealed that he's gearing up for fan "furor" come season 2.
"I'm never gonna say there are things that are gonna happen in the show that happened in the game. You never know what we're gonna do," Mazin told the outlet. "But I will say that it is the adventure, the journey is the point. There are things that will shock people, things that were in the game, things that were not in the game, and that's okay. As long as they're purposeful, they're not there to just simply shock. We are not interested in creating social media fear. We just want to tell the story the way we think it should be told."
"Will there be furor? Yeah, probably. I mean, there usually is, starting even with casting," he added, alluding to the slew of online hate that Emmy-nominated actor Bella Ramsey received for their portrayal of Ellie. "We knew they were the exact right person to cast and they had to go through quite a few months of people being awful on social media until they saw what we saw," Mazin explained. "That, to me, is the point. We don't operate to either make people happy on social media or avoid making them upset. We just do what we think is right, and we hope that people come along for the ride and enjoy it."
Will Joel die in The Last of Us season 2?
Joel and Ellie shared an undeniable bond as they navigated a post-apocalyptic world together in the first season of HBO's The Last of Us, and viewers hope they continue to build on that connection in season two. Fans of the game The Last of Us II know that Abby, the daughter of the doctor Joel killed while saving Ellie in the first game, tracked him down and killed him, launching Ellie’s quest for revenge in the sequel.
Pascal opened up to Esquire about if season 2 will directly follow the game. “It wouldn't make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path,” he told Esquire. “So, yeah, that’s my honest answer. Ramsey agreed. “If that does take place in the show,” the actor said, “I don't know that I'm emotionally ready for it.”
Mazin also weighed in on the idea of Joel dying in season 2. “This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don't fear killing characters,” he said to Esquire. “But the important thing to note is that neither Neil [Druckmann] nor I feel constrained by the source material.”
Joel’s death could be a huge moment for The Last of Us fans (and something we’ll never be prepared for).
When does The Last of Us season 2 come out?
The Last of Us season 1 finale premiered on March 12, 2023, but an official release date for season 2 has not been confirmed just yet.
HBO’s head of drama, Francesca Orsi, spoke to Deadline about upcoming releases from the network (including TLOU) and revealed that it’s “too early to tell” how scheduling for specific shows will pan out. But we may have to wait a little while until Joel and Ellie return to our screens. “We were looking at The Last Of Us for some time in 2025,” Orsi told the outlet.
Of course, we’ll update here as more season 2 details are announced.
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