End clap for The Last of Us! After a first season full of emotions, will the series adaptation of the famous video game have a season 2? Discover all the information about what awaits you.
Awaited by fans of the famous video game, The Last of Us was the series phenomenon of the start of 2023. With record audiences from week to week, the television adaptation was a hit that sparked many reactions, both from aficionados and neophytes.
After an inaugural season rich in twists and nods to video games, The Last of Us ended with its tragic and controversial final episode, which gathered nearly 8.2 million viewers in the United States according to Deadline.
Will the series return for a second round of episodes? What is the first information on the continuation of the adventures of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey)?
Season 2 confirmed!
It’s no longer a secret for the majority of fans, but if the information has escaped you, know that The Last of Us has indeed been renewed for a second season, and this very early in the broadcast! Indeed, HBO announced the good news after the broadcast of the second episode!
Imminent filming for season 2?
After such a success, fans will be eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Last of Us. But they will have to be patient, knowing that it took almost two years to put together the first season of the series. But Pedro Pascal hinted that the production of this second burst of episodes could start sooner than expected.
During an interview for the promotion of The Mandalorian, the editor of Collider asked the interpreter of Joel if there was a chance that the team of The Last of Us will start filming season 2 this year. To which he replied: “In 2023? Oh, what season are we in now? We’re approaching spring? Yes, there’s a chance, yes.”
Several seasons to come?
So what to expect in The Last of Us Season 2? Quite simply to the plot of the second opus of the video game work, The Last of Us: Part IIreleased in 2020. But this story is much more substantial to adapt than the first game. Indeed, it takes about a little less than 20 hours to complete The Last of Us: Part I and the DLC (downloadable additional content) “Left Behind” (which corresponds to episode 7 of the series).
HBO
While to complete the adventure of The Last of Us: Part II, it takes a little less than 30 hours, depending on whether you are rushing through the heap or whether you are a conscientious player to search every corner and want to complete the game at 100%. So showrunners Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (also creator of the video game franchise) have a simple solution: the second game will be adapted over several seasons!
This is hardly surprising when you consider that the plot of The Last of Us: Part II is more complex with more characters, flashbacks and settings than for the first game. So when QG asked Neil Druckmann if Season 2 was going to cover the entire second game, he simply replied: “No. Certainly not. It takes more than one season”.
Which means that The Last of Us will have at least three seasons! Or more ? Craig Mazin cast doubt: “You noted correctly that we won’t say how many. But more than one season is factually correct”.
Bella Ramsey is back!
Given that there is a five-year time jump between The Last of Us: Part I and The Last of Us: Part II, some fans wondered if the show’s teams would consider a casting change for Ellie. and so say goodbye to Bella Ramsey.
It is not so since Craig Mazin declared during a press conference, via Entertainment Weeklythat Bella Ramsey will be present in season 2 of the series, which will be “quite different and won’t be exactly like the game” : “This will be the show that Neil and I want to do. But we’re doing it with Bella”.
HBO
And Neil Druckmann adds: “The only valid reason for us to consider recasting the character as Bella would be if she told us she no longer wanted to work with us. And even then, we’re not sure we’d grant her that. We could still force her to come back for the second season”.
More infected!
This is one of the most recurring criticisms of fans of The Last of Us video games, the series ultimately contains few combat scenes against the infected. The first season showed us Runners, Stalkers, Slappers, and a Colossus, but there are other, even more terrifying types of Infected.
The Last of Us: what are the different types of infected?
Craig Mazin explained to variety this screenplay choice, which consists of favoring the development of the plot and the characters rather than linking sequences of combat and action, inherent and essential to an experience as a player:
“There’s less action than some people wanted because we couldn’t necessarily find meaning for much of it, or we were worried it would be repetitive. After all, you’re not not in a player experience, but in a spectator experience. And while a lot of people enjoy watching the gameplay, it has to be a bit more focused and useful when we show it on TV.”
But let the spectators be reassured, there will be many more infected – and even perhaps the spores! – in the second season! In any case, Craig Mazin implied it: “There will be more development of The Last of Us universe. It’s entirely possible that there will be many more infected later on. And maybe even different kinds”.
While waiting to discover this second season of The Last of Us, fans are still recovering from the final episode of the inaugural season. This controversial ending sparks debate, but it is the crucial trigger that opens up the second video game. The Last of Us: Part IIwhich, in addition to continuing Ellie’s story, shows the inevitable consequences of Joel’s choice.
The Last of Us series is available in full on Prime Video.