The Last Of Us Season 2 - What We Know So Far
Contains spoilers for the video game "The Last of Us: Part II," from which Season 2 of the HBO series will be adapted.
After the gripping Season 1 finale of "The Last of Us," viewers are anxiously awaiting the next chapter of the fungal-filled drama. Joel's (Pedro Pascal) deadly mission to escort Ellie (Bella Ramsey) led to a series of harrowing encounters that often reminded fans of the original video game. Following the gut-wrenching decisions he made to save Ellie, there will also be plenty of unrelenting consequences waiting for Joel in Season 2.
"The Last of Us" was quickly renewed for Season 2 after the first two episodes impressively broke several HBO viewership records. The next installment is poised to be a satisfying follow-up to the wildly popular debut season by exploring the larger world of the series. Season 2 will also introduce the looming threat of Abby (initially voiced by Laura Bailey), who becomes Ellie's main antagonist after an unforgivable act of violence.
HBO is well known for keeping secrets, and only a few official small details about the upcoming season so far have leaked. However, there are still a few important pieces of information we can string together while we wait for the next gruesome episode of "The Last of Us."
When will The Last of Us Season 2 be released?
"The Last of Us" is a unique television show committed to utilizing practical effects as frequently as possible. Unfortunately, that also means the esteemed series takes longer to film than other shows, while the cast and crew authentically create the post-apocalyptic world in stunning detail. After seeing the dedicated attention to detail in Season 1, one could argue that it's worth the wait, no matter how long.
Thankfully, Bella Ramsey offers us a glimmer of hope regarding when we can expect Season 2. The actor provided some speculation to the Independent as to when it may finally premiere. "So it'll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025," they said. While this may seem far away from now, it also means casual viewers can take their time to enjoy the enthralling video game source material to better prepare for the absolute carnage that lies in Season 2.
What is the plot of The Last of Us Season 2?
The suspenseful closing minutes of the Season 1 finale set up Season 2 with the fateful pull of a trigger. When Joel murders the surgeon (Darren Dolynski), he unknowingly creates his most dangerous enemy yet in the form of Abby. In the horrific opening of "The Last of Us: Part II," Abby searches for Joel before unexpectedly crossing paths with him and his brother Tommy (played by Gabriel Luna in the HBO series). When they find Abby's friends, Joel is ambushed and brutally executed right in front of Ellie, who helplessly makes her own vow for revenge.
This sets "The Last of Us: Part II" off on a grueling journey of vengeance as we play as both Ellie and Abby. It also allows players to experience Abby's perspective, which helps them view her as more humane and less of a merciless villain. Later in the game, we learn about her tragic backstory, where Joel murdered her Firefly father, Jerry Anderson (the surgeon), who was the only person capable of producing a viable cure for the cordyceps infection.
After witnessing Abby's heart-wrenching past, the consequences of Joel's harsh actions are elevated, justifying her thirst for bloodshed. This is the crushing realization that results in Joel's untimely death, which Pedro Pascal, the man himself, told Esquire that he feels is inevitable, "It wouldn't make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path." That means we can almost certainly anticipate a similar unflinching sequence of violence in Season 2, which will undoubtedly shatter devoted viewers.
Who is cast in The Last of Us Season 2
Despite the ugly rumors, Bella Ramsey is not being recast as Ellie. Video game creator Neil Druckmann, who also works on the hit HBO series as a co-creator and writer/director, gave a touching and fitting statement to The Wrap, which should clear the air on the matter. "We are extremely lucky to have Bella...and the only way we would ever consider recasting Bella is if she said, 'I don't want to work with you guys anymore," he said. "And even then we're not sure we would grant her that. We might force her to come back this season," he joked.
After the four-year time jump in "The Last of Us: Part II," some feel Ramsey is too young to play the more mature Ellie. However, Druckmann also pointed out that Ramsey is now the same age (19) as Ellie in the sequel, further squashing the assumptions of naysayers. In Season 2, she'll go to war against the infamous Abby, who is yet to be officially cast. We also have her companions Yara (voiced by Victoria Grace) and her sibling Lev (Ian Alexander), who add another compelling layer to Abby's story that even parallels Joel.
Ellie will also likely reconnect with the staring girl from Season 1, Episode 6 in Jackson, who many believe to be her future girlfriend, Dina (voiced by Shannon Woodward). She becomes Ellie's close confidant and fierce defender when Ellie begins her own treacherous journey for revenge. In addition to catching up with Joel's brother Tommy, we can also expect to reconvene with his loving wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley), and their little bundle of joy.
Who is writing and directing The Last of Us Season 2?
Season 2 will feature the return of "The Last of Us" showrunner Craig Mazin and video game creator Neil Druckmann, who partnered for the HBO series. The accomplished two are ecstatic to continue Joel and Ellie's story. "I'm humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie's journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations," Druckmann expressed in the Season 2 renewal announcement. He thanked his loyal collaborators, Playstation and Naughty Dog, who produced the HBO series and original video games.
The pair shared the writing responsibilities for Season 1, and both directed an episode each, which will likely be repeated in Season 2. After the monster success of Season 1, it's also possible some notable directors may be featured in the upcoming season. Additionally, Deadline recently reported that production for Season 2 of "The Last of Us" is set to begin soon in Vancouver, Canada.
Vancouver could also take on the other pivotal Northwestern locations in the Pacific to accurately replicate the dystopian locations from the game. While HBO hasn't officially announced when filming will begin, Bella Ramsey shined some light on the situation. On "The Jonathan Ross Show," Ramsey gave a shooting update for Season 2, which was transcribed and reported by the Independent, "It will be a while. I think we'll probably shoot at the end of this year [2023], beginning of next [2024]."