The Last of Us fans are excited to dive back into the post-apocalyptic world next month when the Emmy-nominated HBO series returns for its highly-anticipated second season. But while TV watchers are set for at least a couple more seasons, those who started watching the show because of their love of the original games might disappointed by the latest update from creator Neil Druckmann.
Talking to Variety as part of an in-depth special about the behind-the-scenes of season 2, Druckmann revealed that The Last of Us Part III is unlikely to happen, specifically saying, "don't bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it."
The latest entry in Naughty Dog's hit action-adventure video game series was The Last of Us Part II, initially released in 2020. Like the original game from 2013, Part II received a special remastered version for PS5 which came out in January 2024 (the PC version is expected on April 3). Despite the second game receiving resounding acclaim from critics and becoming one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games of all time, it was also known for its very polarizing storyline, a storyline that will start to be adapted in the upcoming second season of HBO's series.
I won't spoil what happens, but needless to say there was a big portion of the fanbase who were unhappy with the direction to the games took. Still, people have been hoping for a third part to the story to continue the journey of main characters like Ellie and the controversial character Abby.
The intimidating prospect of bringing The Last of Us Part II to life for HBO
Naughty Dog has sunk a lot of time and money into The Last of Us franchise and now it looks like Druckmann is more interested in focusing on the show. Even the prospect of a third season is daunting as the show's co-creator Craig Mazin tells Variety that he was intimidated by the prospect of topping season 1 for season 2 and now the duo is experiencing similar feelings for the show's future.
“I’ve been feeling scared lately about like, ‘Oh, yeah, I have to start thinking about Season 3.' I remember having this feeling when we were finishing Season 1, where I was like, ‘How the f**k are we going to top this?’ Now, of course, I’m like, ‘How the f**k are we going to top this?’”
At the very least, it sounds like fans have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season of the show. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are set to return as the main characters Joel and Ellie and they'll be joined by newcomers like Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Isabela Merced as Dina.
Even though there are only two video games, the HBO series is expected to go on for at least three seasons, potentially more. It is bound to induce similar controversy to the game when certain storylines happen, especially because the second game changes the central relationship between Joel and Ellie, which is the anchor of the story. It will be hard for some people to grapple with the growing distance between them and the formidable challenges that fundamentally change them moving forward.
Regardless of whether the games continue or not, it's clear that The Last of Us will go down in history as a monumental story and one of the industry's best. The show is also off to a great start with a terrific first season and there's a lot of hype carrying the promotion for season 2. Fans still have plenty to look forward to—with Druckmann and Mazin teasing some changes and additional content in season 2 to keep game fans surprised—even if The Last of Us Part III never materializes.
The Last of Us season 2 premieres on HBO on April 13, it will also stream on Max.