While waiting to discover season 2 of The Last of Us, here is all the information known to date on the sequel to the series adapted from the famous video game.
This article will be updated as new information becomes available from HBO and The Last of Us series team.
It is one of the television hits of 2023 and its next season is eagerly awaited by fans. The Last of Us broke the curse of poor live-action video game adaptations and won over both fans of the video game franchise and neophytes alike.
Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin’s dramatic and post-apocalyptic thriller, which has entered the history of series, was able to count on its moving plot, its mastered visual effects and its impeccable cast, led by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
While waiting to be able to discover season 2 of The Last of Us, here is all the information known to date on the next episodes of the series.
Previously in the world of the Infected: How does The Last of Us season 1 end?
Warning, spoilers. The Last of Us’ nine-episode first season adapts the first video game The Last of Us: Part I. After the dangerous crossing of the United States devastated by an epidemic caused by the fungus Cordyceps, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who have grown considerably closer to the point of having built a quasi-filial relationship, finally arrive at the lair Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
The time for separation has come as the Fireflies, led by Marlene (Merle Dandridge), are going to operate on Ellie, who is miraculously immune – a condition explained in the episode – and which may be the key to a vaccine against the infection. in Cordyceps.
HBO
But this operation also means the death of Ellie. A purpose to which Joel, who sees in her his missing daughter, cannot resolve. He then kills all of the Fireflies, including Marlene, and takes Ellie away from the lair. Together, they go in the direction of Jackson to find Tommy, Joel’s brother. When she wakes up, Ellie asks Joel what happened but he lies to her.
Release date: When will The Last of Us season 2 be released?
While the filming of season 2 of The Last of Us was to start during the spring or summer of 2023, the double strike of the writers and the actors put this plan in jeopardy. The shots are then staggered until the unions and the studios come to an agreement.
Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO and responsible for developing and overseeing the production of original drama series, told Deadline that the American cable channel had to adapt its programming according to the strike, which will cause delays and therefore, season 2 of The Last of Us should not arrive before 2025!
Plot: What is the story of The Last of Us season 2?
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. It is set four years after the first opus, and Joel and Ellie live in Jackson with Tommy, Maria and the entire Jackson community.
HBO
But an unfortunate event occurs and deeply upsets Ellie, who will be marked in her heart and in her flesh. She then embarks on a quest for revenge that will transform her forever. If you’ve already cried a lot over the first episodes of The Last of Us, prepare even more tissues for the second round of episodes.
Season 2 of The Last of Us should also satisfy fans who criticized the sporadic presence of the Infected in the inaugural season. Coshowrunner Craig Mazin explained to variety that favoring the development of the plot and the characters rather than linking combat and action sequences was a scriptwriting choice.
But he also admitted that the more active sequences – especially those of Infected attacks – are inherent and essential to a player experience, which explains the criticisms of the lack of Infected. But there should be more in season 2: “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”.
Plot: What’s the biggest spoiler for The Last of Us season 2?
As said above, season 2 of The Last of Us will be marked by a tragic and upsetting event for Ellie. And this is the most traumatic scene of The Last of Us: Part II for fans and players dreading this move into the second season. [ATTENTION SPOILERS]
In the first act of the second video game, Joel is brutally murdered by Abby, the antagonist. It is his death that will trigger a quest for revenge in Ellie. [FIN SPOILERS]
Will this sequence necessarily be in season 2 of The Last of Us? In an interview for Esquire, Craig Mazin has nothing carved in stone but he doesn’t seem determined to change at all. This suggests that the sequence in question will be present in season 2:
“It should be pretty obvious to everyone by now, but I’m not afraid to kill characters. But the important thing to note is that neither Neil nor I feel limited by the source material.”
Casting: Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey)… Who returns in season 2 of The Last of Us?
All the survivors of the first season of The Last of Us are expected in the second burst of episodes of the series (and there are not many!). Audiences got to know characters they had to say goodbye to pretty quickly, which doesn’t leave many known for the sequel.
HBO
Thus, the two stars of The Last of Us will be back: Pedro Pascal in the role of Joel and Bella Ramsey in the role of Ellie. In addition, Gabriel Luna, who plays Tommy, Joel’s brother, and Rutina Wesley, who plays Maria, Tommy’s wife, will also be present in season 2 of the series.
Cast: Who are the newcomers to The Last of Us Season 2?
For the moment, no new name has been announced for the cast of season 2 of The Last of Us. But fans know that two major roles in The Last of Us: Part II game must find their interpreters. First, that of Abby that Neil Druckmann teased on social networks.
The latter is an important antagonist of the second video game and some fans already have ideas for the cast. Several names have circulated on the networks, such as Katy O’Brian (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Florence Pugh, Erin Kellyman (Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Amber Midthunder or Rhonda Rousey. But fans would like actress Shannon Berry (The Wilds) to play Abby and it’s an interesting choice.
Another important character: that of Dina, who will be
Ellie’s companion later. No actress has been chosen for the moment but the showrunners of the series may be able to call on Paolina van Kleef (The Nigh Agent), who strongly resembles the character of the video game and who is present stealthily in episode 6 from the first season of The Last of Us. And this appearance was seen as a sign by many fans!
And then: will there be a season 3 of The Last of Us?
A third season has not yet been confirmed by HBO or the creators of The Last of Us. But season 2 of the series will have a much denser plot since it will adapt the second video game, The Last of Us: Part II. And its 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).
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, as they confirmed to QG !
The first season of The Last of Us is available on Prime Video via the Warner Pass.