The Last of Us' HBO adaptation has just come to a close, with the final episode of the acclaimed first season having just aired. It's been warmly received, and with the viewing figures consistently high, it didn't take long for season two to get the green light. However, it sounds like it'll take more than one other season to cover the events of The Last of Us: Part II.
With the first season broadly covering the entirety of the first game's story, the video game sequel is next to be adapted for TV. However, with the larger scope of Part II, it'll be divided into two seasons, or possibly more.
In a GQ interview, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin are asked if the second season will cover Part II. "No. No way," responds Mazin. Druckmann adds, "It’s more than one season."
He elaborates, talking about what he's excited for as they move to the sequel: "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."
So, although a third season has yet to be formally confirmed, it sounds as though that's very much the plan. Given how successful the first season has been, it shouldn't come as a big surprise to hear that it'll be sticking around, and Part II may have a little more room to breathe with at least twice as many episodes to play with.
Are you excited to see how HBO's adaptation evolves? Tell us in the comments section below.
[source gq-magazine.co.uk, via insider-gaming.com]
Comments 51
It gives them an extra year or two to get part 3 out on ps5. The gaming fans deserve the game before the series. Remember your roots ND!
@Loftimus I was thinking the same thing.
I guess this makes sense. I wonder if they'll split Ellie/Abby's stories?
Also agree that it gives them time to get Part 3 out on PS5, as mentioned above!
I'm kinda disappointed that they'll move straight into Part II for the second season. What is there between the end of the first & start of the second games 4 or 5 years shame they aren't gonna be exploring those, for me at least.
@get2sammyb yeah that's what I took from it being split, I wonder if they'll show Abby's side first if that was the case?
I'd imagine they'd start with mainly Abbie's storyline as it happens in the past mostly. Thus gives them some extra time with Joel.
@Decoy_Snake
The insinuation from the game is that nothing has really happened in those fives years.
@get2sammyb This is good news. The main problems I had with the first season was that there wasn’t more of it, to fix the pacing issues (as I detailed in my comment on the review article).
Spitting the second season in two just makes sense, at least from what I know about the structure of the game (never played it, but couldn’t help being spoiled due to the discourse surrounding it).
The important story beats of Part II falls into roughly the same number of episodes as season one - maybe you'd need ten episodes this time - by my reckoning at least.
But one of my favourite things about The Last of Us on HBO has been how they've expanded the story of the game, and so I'm happy for them to go even further with the next series.
@SolaceCreed they could write something to happen in there though
Given the mess made of GoT series 8 without source material, really wouldnt be surprised if this is in part a way to give Naughty Dog the time to wrap up the trilogy on Playstation.
Plenty of scope here to give Joel more screen time too, and dig deeper into Abby's back story
@Rob_230 I'd like to see a few of Tommy's flashbacks of Joel.
They should recast Sean Bean as Joel...since...you know...he never survives anything. 🤣
@Loftimus Yes don't do a Game of Thrones!
But they have more than a couple of years I feel. The first series took 200 days of shooting. While this usually gets quicker in subsequent seasons I can't see the next season coming out within a year as they only just green lit it.
I hope they don't essentially do an Ellie season and an Abby season. I would prefer they stitch them together personally.
SPOPILER FOR PART II
Sorry I don't know how to do that spoiler hide text thing..
I think that in the show they will find a way to have Joel live longer. Maybe he won't die until the end of season 2. Neil and Craig love working with Pedro and the majority of the audience are really liking his rendition of Joel. So I feel like they're going to find a way to keep him around longer, without sacrificing any main story points.
That's what I was thinking. Part II is a massive game, could easily get 3 seasons out of it and then Part III could theoretically be out by then so they could continue even further. Fun stuff!
One change being **character death** moved to much later in the show surely?
Can imagine viewership declining if it happens too soon.
Gotta milk it!
I can't wait personally, though I'm not looking forward to the game's less 'considerate' critics resurfacing from their basements like freshly minted Uruk-hai...
The game is kind of already split into three parts, though, it's mostly two with an epilogue (Santa Barbara was more of an epilogue).
I think two seasons of 10 episodes could be doable but three might risk stretching it.
That said, my main criticism of today is they've rushed the end of this season a bit.
@uptownsoul could be a great idea it would be a good way to flesh out characters like Tommy and introduce Dina & Jesse.
I'd say season 2&3 will both feature Ellie's and Abby's side otherwise they might run the risk of having it too unbalanced. If there's a season 4 then it'll most likely be a spin off, because be real, ND won't have part 3 done by that time. Especially when they're also working on another franchise.
It takes so long to make a game these days, there is no way that part 3 will be ready in time before the series airs.
I wonder if they go with some of the same actors for parts like they did for Marlene since a lot more of the actors from part 2 resemble their characters.
Honestly, I'd have loved if the first series could have been split in two, it would have been even better with more time to develop over 16/18 episodes. Maybe not a full two seasons, but with a midseason break, breaking up a longer series of episodes.
We saw plenty of flashbacks during season 1. Two of the nine episodes were basically all flashback. If there’s something to add in, they have the capability to add it in.
I was hoping they’d do more with Ish, but alas.
@JSnow2 I’d be pretty annoyed if they stretched part 2 into three seasons after rushing through (and doing a disservice to) part 1.
I do wonder if I’ll enjoy season 2 more though because I’m not as invested in Pascal’s portrayal of Joel on the show.
@lacerz yeah, I remember when everyone wanted a Left Behind style expansion for Ish when the first game came out.
@InvaderJim I’d be very surprised if the actor who played Abbey wanted to come back after the abuse she got from playing the character in the game.
I wonder if the actor will starve themselves for the final chapter, like Christian Bale did in The Machinist? Or if they’ll use makeup and special effects?
Why? The pacing in the game was bad enough, you want to make it worse.
@themightyant they actually greenlit the second season after the first or second episode. I imagine it'll be scheduled for a release next year.
@ItsBritneyB_tch bale has a lot of time to prepare before shooting his movies and goes through vigorous regimine during that time. Transitioning or doing that big of a weight cut doesn't seem doable with the filming schedule of a series.
Just cant see them killing off joel as quick as the game did.
@Decoy_Snake I hope we atleast get some down time at Jackson before they really start on part 2. Kill Joel at the end of season 2 and season 3 can just focus on the three days of carnage in Seattle.
Season 1 needed to be a little longer. Two seasons of 7 or 8 episodes would’ve been fantastic. Although the show is fantastic, it felt rushed. Why make 2+ seasons for Part 2 which reception is divided by the fanbase while making Part 1 wrap up in 1? I liked Part 2 but I think this was an extremely poor business decision. There was more to explore in Part 1 that I, and many others, would’ve loved to see explored. Such a shame IMO.
@veryhoudini11 But that's what I mean, they only green lit a few weeks ago. It's not like the green light a show and it starts shooting a few weeks later, it takes time to plan and book staff, actors etc. Hence I don't think it will be out Jan 2024.
@ItsBritneyB_tch probably since she doesn't resemble her character to very much, plus Laura Bailey was in the final episode.
Unlike Jeffy Wright who most resembles his character since pretty much put him game so he is most obvious pick and also connection with HBO, he co stared and killed off Dina's voice actress Shannon Woodward in Westworld.
@Loftimus I think they just mean part 2 will be told in two seasons.
Good news as I felt season 1 felt a little rushed and could have used a couple for episodes at least.
@arsmolinarc i love part 2 but it would be the worst ending to a franchise ever. I'll bet there is a part 3 coming.
They should change the ending so Ellie kills Abby.
@get2sammyb if they do split it I hope they do start with Abby's story. That way people can get to like her and want to protect her until eventually we find out what she did. Imagine there's someone hunting her the entire season and we don't know who and at the last episode of season 2 we find it's Ellie. Then season 3 from the perspective of Ellie! Would be a much better timeline to follow than the game
@themightyant it's more likely to be towards the end of 2024/start of 2025.
Please please PLEASE, don't try to change crucial things to make amends to the rabid death-threat fans.
@SolaceCreed @veryhoudini11 Yes! Pedro Pascal seemed like they MIGHT have a chance of starting shooting later this year. Though he was being a little cryptic and playful, so it's hard to tell if he was joking. But if we take him at his word, and that happens, the earliest it would realistically release is late 2024.
EDIT: For reference the first season was shot between July 2021 and June 2022 and it then took over 6 months of editing and post production to get to our screens. While it would likely be a little faster in subsequent seasons it took 18 months from the start of filming to release.
@Saitama117 Then wouldn't they shut themselves out of doing Part 3's storyline? Considering Abbey is likely to return for it.
@SolaceCreed That would be lame if she returned as the villain and the whole "you killed my whatever but now that we went through that stuff we're cool" has been played out so much that I would be greatly disappointed if they went that route.
@Saitama117
I got the feeling that they were hinting that Ellie was going after her again now she has nothing to lose. Through her own actions.
I'd hate that lazy kind of script too. Where they're friends. The other possibility is that Ellie isn't in it at all, knowing ND recently lol.
@Loftimus We also need them to release a native PS5 upgrade/remaster of Part 2 too.
Preferably before Season 2 of the show releases.
@SolaceCreed Alright, you've convinced me. That sounds like an awesome plot for the third game.
@themightyant yeah hopefully production will start this year. I'm curious how long until they have a script ready, especially if they do really plan to split part 2.
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