The Last of Us is getting a third season.
The hit HBO series has been renewed ahead of the second season’s debut. The second season takes place five years after the events of the first season. Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are “drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind,” according to the logline.
What the showrunners say about ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 3
Co-creators, executive producers, showrunners and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are excited about the prospect of a third season, saying in a statement how they anticipate diving deeper into the world of The Last of Us.
“We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of,” Mazin said. “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 added, “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!”
Francesca Orsi, executive vice president, HBO Programming, head of HBO Drama Series and Films, also expressed how excited HBO is to have The Last of Us as part of its roster.
“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is,” Orsi 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.”
What can fans expect from Season 3 of ‘The Last Of Us’
So what can we expect in the third season? According to Mazin, when he talked to Deadline, fans can expect to see more of the storyline from the game told in detail between Seasons 2 and 3.
“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons,” he said. “When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints. As we laid it out, this season, the natural breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”
“…We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons because we’re taking our time and going down interesting pathways, which we did a little bit in Season 1 too,” Mazin continued. “We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that—as long as people keep watching and keep making more television—Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.”
Along with Pascal and Ramsey, The Last of Us also stars Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley and new Season 2 cast members Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez and Jeffrey Wright. Catherine O’Hara guest stars.
Season 2 of The Last of Us premieres on HBO April 13 at 9 p.m. ET and will stream on Max.
