Ever since The Last of Us hit HBO on Jan. 15, fans have been wondering if the show will continue past the first season. Luckily, with all the praise the series is getting, a renewal is highly likely.
The show’s creators are also eager to take the story further. And when hinting at their story plans for The Last of Us Season 2, they promised to make every episode “worth its weight.”
‘The Last of Us’ is an adaptation of a popular video game
HBO’s The Last of Us is based on the 2013 video game of the same name, which was developed by Naughty Dog and released on the PlayStation 3. The post-apocalyptic action-adventure game follows the story of Joel and Ellie, two survivors of a deadly virus that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. The game has been praised for its story, characters, and visuals, and has become an instant classic, winning numerous awards.
The television series was produced by HBO and written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. Mazin is best known for creating the HBO series Chernobyl, and Druckmann is the writer and creative director of the original game. The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
As with any adaptation of beloved source material, fans are extremely excited, but also wary of how the show will turn out. Some have been critical of the casting choices for the show, as they feel that the actors do not accurately represent the characters from the game. And this has led to a lot of discussion among fans, who are trying to ensure that the show stays true to the source material.
What the showrunners have planned for ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2
The debut season of The Last of Us will cover the entirety of the first video game. And as Mazin and Druckmann hinted, a second season would follow The Last of Us Part 2 game.
“We have no plans to tell any stories beyond adapting the games,” Druckmann told The Hollywood Reporter. “We won’t run into the same issue as Game of Thrones since Part II doesn’t end on a cliffhanger.”
“I don’t have any interest in a spinning-plates-go-on-forever show,” Mazin added. “When it becomes a perpetual motion machine, it just can’t help but get kind of … stupid. Endings mean everything to me.”
Every episode will be ‘worth its weight’ ‘The Last of Us’ creator teases
Mazin and Druckmann know how important The Last of Us video game is to fans. So if the HBO show comes back for a second season, Mazin promises to make every moment of every episode count.
“And I am a very demanding TV watcher,” he said via Radio Times. “I want every episode to justify its existence, I want to feel compelled all the way through. I never want to feel like they’re just filling time to create more show. We’re all too smart, we know it when we see it. And for me also, I have no interest in creating a television series that is designed to go on forever.”
“So to me, the narrative of the first game was gorgeous, it was complete, it deserved a season, we knew how to do it within a season,” Mazin added. “And so that was kind of a no-brainer. And I promise, if we are lucky enough to get more seasons, and keep telling the story, we will continue to make sure that every episode is worth its weight.”
New episodes of The Last of Us air Sundays on HBO.
