Are Joel and Ellie ready to return with a new season much sooner than anticipated? Continue reading to learn more about
The Last of Us Season 2.
Imagine a world ravaged by a deadly fungal infection where hope is a fragile commodity. This is a scenario that The Last of Us Season 1 was able to capture as it took the viewers and fans of the original video game back into the post-apocalyptic landscape, where survival is a constant battle against both the infected and the remnants of humanity. The gripping narrative of the show has created a lot of hype for the show, and the viewers who didn’t know about this series before are just spellbound to know what the new season has to offer to the beloved duo of Ellie and Joel!
We are certain that their journey is becoming even more treacherous as they navigate through new challenges and encounter unexpected allies and enemies. Moreover, every aspect of the game’s visuals has been perfectly captured in the series, which contributes to the sense of realism and desperation that fans always wanted to watch. Due to this high interest, many have started to question when the show is back with the highly anticipated second season, as it was renewed earlier this year after breaking all viewership records and receiving acclaim from critics!
So, if you want to know more about The Last of Us Season 2 potential release date, then we can assure you that you have reached the right place because we at Web News Observer have compiled all the latest updates right here for you!
The Last of Us Season 2 Release Date: When will it premiere?
Unfortunately, it seems like the fans will have to wait sometime for the show to hit post-apocalyptic drama television series to officially return to their television screens because the filming of the second season hasn’t even begun yet. Right now, the show is stuck in the early pre-production stage, which calls for the completion of the scripts before any actual production can start. The credit for the delay in the production stage is due to the ongoing dual strikes, which include the 2023 WGA strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, which sadly have not reached any agreement.
This makes one thing pretty clear: there is no chance left for the show to premiere on the streaming platform in the fall of 2023! On the other hand, there is a huge chance that the show might not be aiming to return this year at all because Chief Francesca Orsi confirmed to Deadline that writing for the new season of The Last of Us, along with some other original HBO shows, has been stopped due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike which has impacted many major networks, thus causing a significant delay in production to fully commence without hurdles.
“While everything at this moment is pencils down, I’m hopeful that we can come to terms sooner than later. Otherwise, we will have to assess what is at the end of the 24 schedule, what are the shows that are going to be delivered for 2025,” Orsi said. “At this point, those shows that I’m looking to air wouldn’t necessarily be ready if this strike lasts six to nine months. So yes, that’s a big question for us, but I think we’ll cross that road once we come to it.” Following these uncertainties, there is no chance that the network will rush into releasing the new season anytime soon!
If we consider that the production stages might last for a while, depending on the status of the ongoing dual strikes, then we speculate that the second season will most likely premiere sometime around late 2024 or even early 2025! Moreover, Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, openly admitted that “it will be a while” until season 2 hits HBO. Further adding, “I think we’ll probably shoot at the end of this year, beginning of next,” Bella added during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show quote, “So it’ll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025.”
This makes it clear that there is still a lot of time left for the second season to premiere, and the TLOU fans will have to be very patient and pray that no further delays will happen in the future!
We’re fine. Trust me. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/33mUhTxMLb
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) September 19, 2023
The Last of Us Season 2 Production Status: Has it begun or not?
Unfortunately, as stated above, the production of the second season has not started due to the ongoing strikes, and we speculate it will be delayed further as the negotiations are still happening. Moreover, we speculate that the production might commence later this year or by next year once the writer’s room once again commences their work on the scripts. Until then, everything relating to the production status is just pure conjecture. On the bright side, recently, the writers and the studios are set to sit down to resume negotiations on Wednesday!
“The WGA and AMPTP now have a confirmed schedule to bargain this week. You might not hear from us in the coming days while we are negotiating, but know that our focus is getting a fair deal for writers as soon as possible. We’ll reach out again when there is something of significance to report. In the meantime, please continue to demonstrate your commitment and unity by coming out to the picket lines – for yourselves and fellow writers, SAG-AFTRA, other unions’ members, and all those in our community who are impacted by the strikes,” the guild noted.
Headed West. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/gMBH7Hkrhd
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) August 22, 2023
The Last of Us Season 2 Plot: What to expect from the new season?
There is no doubt that the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us is rich in storytelling potential, and the characters are beloved by fans of both the game and the show, due to which Mazin confirmed plans to expand the series by stating it could run for four or five in total, expecting each to have different episode counts. This presents an ideal opportunity for the network to expand this franchise with additional seasons. As the final choice to continue the show will probably depend on various aspects, including viewer engagement, critical acclaim, and the franchise’s performance in other media.
According to Deadline, the HBO drama’s filming for the second season is set to take place in British Columbia, including Vancouver, to continue the saga of Joel and Ellie’s adventures across the post-apocalyptic United States. The production is planned to begin in early 2024, which will be ideal for the show to make its return soon rather than delaying any further, which might impact the audience’s interest. Additionally, the producers have already teased bigger and more elaborate zombies next season:
“There will be a couple of new pieces of casting, which I can’t get into. And of course, there isn’t much that we can go into on The Last of Us, given that Craig can’t really initiate in any meaningful way from a writing or casting standpoint. But he and Neil have a good sense of what it is that he’s going to be taking on. We’ll be moving the show from Calgary to Vancouver,” Orsi said. “All I can say is he’s taking a big swing from both an entertainment standpoint, related to the clickers, but also just the more nuanced, complex character dynamic between our characters, Joel, Ellie, and beyond.”
“The Last of Us” creator and co-showrunner Neil Druckmann also confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Season 2 of the Emmy-nominated HBO series is all outlined and ready to go as soon as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes come to an end. He’s currently making the press rounds touting the new “Last of Us” attraction at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Further adding, “We’ve outlined all of Season 2 and we’re ready to go as soon as the strike ends,” Druckmann said. “As far as the next game at Naughty Dog, I can’t say anything. My comms director over there will slaughter me.”
“We were able to map out all of Season 2,” series co-creator Craig Mazin also told Entertainment Weekly. “And I also wrote and submitted the script for the first episode and sent it in [to HBO] around 10:30 or 10:40 pm right before the midnight the [WGA] strike began.” Mazin added, “I think it’s becoming essentially a near certainty that we won’t be able to start [filming] when we were hoping to start, which is upsetting. We are all raring to go. This is what we are born to do. This is how we not only choose to live our lives, but I believe [how we] are compelled to live our lives. Otherwise, why the hell would we do this insane job? I can assure you it’s not for money.”
Creators/EPS Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann also explained the lack of infected in the first season and hinted about more infected people being involved in the second season, quoting, “I will say that even though we were greenlit for a season of television, Neil and I felt like we couldn’t just make a season of television without considering what would come after,” Mazin said. “There is more to The Last of Us to come. I think the balance is not always just about within an episode or even episode to episode, but season to season. It’s quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later.”
Additionally, Mazin confirmed plans for a third season if the second is successful and said the series could run for four or five in total, expecting each to have different episode counts. He is not opposed to spin-off material “in principle” but suggested he would not work on any himself. In addition to this, Druckmann also stated to GQ that Part II will require “more than one season” to tell, which kind of confirms that the third season will ultimately be considered while the development of the second season is underway to expand this universe as a major post-apocalyptic drama franchise.
He 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.” However, when asked how many seasons exactly it would take to adapt Part II, the creators remained hush. In conclusion, there is no reason to rule out the prospect of more seasons if the series continues to be a huge hit.
No TLoU on HBO tonight. But Season 2 is already on its way! Endure & survive! pic.twitter.com/87bKKCDBeO
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) March 19, 2023
The Last of Us Season 2 Cast: Who will reprise their roles?
It is tough to guess who will appear in Season 2 of The Last of Us because the first few episodes killed off one after another of our newly discovered favorite characters. However, it’s pretty reasonable to anticipate that Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie will be back! Of course, there will be some new cast additions, which will be announced later, as the second part of the game also has new characters to move the story forward, as one character has already been hinted at by the creators!
Recently, there were many discussions about the potential casting for Abby because when asked about whether Abby has been cast in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Mazin said, “Maybe.” Further adding, “The strike stopped us in our tracks. Things were in process. Look, Abby was the first role that we wanted to tackle,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty good track record of making major cast announcements and people going, ‘Really?’ which will probably continue.”
Moreover, Ian Alexander, who portrayed Lev in 2020’s The Last of Us Part II, also expressed interest in reprising their role as Lev for the second season. We’ll just have to wait and see who will be a part of the show. Finally, the show is written and executive-produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. It is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
To the edge of the universe and back.
Congratulations to #TheLastOfUs cast and crew on their 24 #Emmys2023 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. pic.twitter.com/Qf2x94cwmp
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) July 12, 2023
The Last of Us Season 2 Official Episode Count: Where to steam?
The next season is expected to consist of at least 9 episodes with an average runtime of 43–81 minutes, just to be consistent with the first season. Of course, this is subject to change if the network wants to make a smaller or bigger season, which will be confirmed later. We would also like to stress the fact that the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes might also drastically cause a drop in the official episode count if it isn’t resolved before the production stage for major HBO original shows starts by the end of the year. On the other hand, all details on the episode titles and synopsis will be released later, once the premiere date draws near, in order to prevent early spoilers.
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds for the second season!
That’s not all! When released, The Last of Us Season 2, along with the first season, will be available to stream exclusively on MAX (previously known as HBO Max). International viewers can also watch it by renting or purchasing it on Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, JioCinema, Amazon Prime, and iTunes, depending on the viewer’s location and membership plans, which simultaneously depend on the package you choose. The series is also expected to be available on Binge in Australia and Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom. The viewers can also stream the show via VPN if the series or the streaming services are not available in their region.
You can't deny that view. #TLOU pic.twitter.com/JaxiTFbllu
— Max (@StreamOnMax) August 15, 2023
The Last of Us Season 2 Official Trailer: Has it been released?
Unfortunately, the network has not yet published an official teaser or trailer, and we do not anticipate seeing one any time soon! Typically, such promotions begin about a month or two before the premiere, so there is still a lot of time left as the filming has not officially begun.
In the meantime, catch up with the first season of this beloved show in case you haven’t as it follows, “The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Last of Us has an approval rating of 96% based on 467 reviews, with an average rating of 8.75/10. The website’s general consensus reads, “Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is binge-worthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.” Metacritic calculated an average of 84 out of 100 based on 42 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim.”
Take a look at the official trailer for The Last of Us Season 1 to recap the story from the Emmy award-winning creator of Chernobyl and the creator of the acclaimed video game on MAX’s official YouTube channel below:
While you wait for the series to return, let us know in the comments what you expect to see in the second season of The Last of Us.