The Last Of Us creator gives enticing update on Season 2

Rory Cashin

Although it might not arrive as soon as we’d like it to.

The Last Of Us remains our favourite new show of 2023 (check out our full review here), and ever since that final exchange between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), we’ve been patiently waiting for any kind of update on when to expect Season 2.

HBO renewed the show for its follow-up season in January of this year, and a writer’s room was set up in February, with scripts being written by April. However, with the writer’s strike now looming over Hollywood, that could have a huge impact on the second season. Especially considering the previous writer’s strike, back in 2008, lasted 100 days and resulted in massively shortened seasons of shows which still had to hit their planned release dates.

Anyways, aside from that, Craig Mazin – who co-created the TV adaptation along with Neil Druckmann, who created the video game the show is based on – spoke to Deadline about what to expect from the second season.

Craig Mazin said: “We’re certainly also going to push the technology that we use forward. We learned so much, particularly in regard to the infected and how to better deliver scenes with them. So, we’re just going to keep moving the bar up and up and up. That’s kind of our call to arms.

“From a process point of view, Neil [Druckmann, co-showrunner] and I are pretty much in agreement that we’re not changing a damn thing. We are going to [continue to] push ourselves in all sorts of ways… It’s our actors who are going to have to push themselves even more. As they age up, as time has passed, what does that mean to them physically in their bodies? And how do they move, and how do they fight? And what happens as the world gets more and more physical and dangerous?”

Craig Mazin previously confirmed that, just like the video game sequel, there will be a time jump between seasons, and that Pescal and Ramsey will both be staying in their roles, while the plot – without giving too much away – will see the duo deal with the powerful ramifications of their actions in Salt Lake City.

The first season of The Last Of Us is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW Entertainment right now, while Season Two could arrive on screens some time in 2024, depending on how long the writer’s strike lasts.

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