Image credit: Eurogamer/HBO
Naughty Dog has confirmed HBO’s acclaimed live-action adaptation of The Last of Us is getting a third season, even before the highly anticipated season two has aired.
The Last of Us’ TV debut in 2023 was met with huge critical acclaim and brought in record numbers of viewers, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when HBO confirmed it had commissioned a second season. And with excitement building ahead of season two’s start date this Sunday, 13th April (its already managed to set two records for HBO, even before it’s aired), fans will no doubt be thrilled to hear things won’t be ending with an abrupt full-stop.
Plans for a third The Last of Us season have been discussed previously, of course. In August 2023, showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed the team would need more than one season to cover the events of the second game, noting that “four seems like a good number”. That figure was repeated again earlier this year, when HBO executive Francesca Orsi revealed that while a “a complete or final plan” wasn’t in place, “it’s looking like four seasons” for the adaption.
Addressing today’s The Last of Us season three renewal announcement (thanks Variety), Mazin said, “We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. 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.”
The Last of Us season two spans seven episodes (one “quite big” in length), with episode one airing this Sunday, 13th April, at 9pm ET/PT via HBO and Max in the US. In the UK, season two airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW, with the first episode becoming available on Monday, 14th April – presumably at 2am for those that want to get ahead of spoilers.
The Last of Us season two sees the return of Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria, with new cast members including Young Mazino, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Joe Pantoliano, Robert John Burke, Noah Lamanna, and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Additionally, the legendary Catherine O’Hara joins the cast as a Jackson therapist – one with an intriguing connection to a minor game character whose story is set to be expanded in a similar style to season one’s hugely acclaimed Bill and Frank episode.