Fans may have to be patient for the next chapter in the Joel and Ellie road show.
Pre-production on Season 2 of the HBO hit horror series The Last of Us recently was put on hold due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, and now it’s been reported that the show’s upcoming season is not likely to air until sometime in 2025.
Depending on the length of the strike, shooting on Season 2 may not kick off until early next year, according to showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. When production does start, stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey–along with Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley–are expected to reprise their roles for the next chapter.
This week, HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi told Deadline there will be a lot of catching-up to do after the strike. “There will be a couple new pieces of casting,” she said, “but, of course, there isn’t much we can go into now. Craig can’t really initiate from a writing or casting standpoint.”
All she could say at his point is that “we’re taking a big swing from both an entertainment standpoint–as related to the Clickers–and also the more nuanced, complex character dynamic among our characters.”
Looking to the future of the series, Orsi said “Craig and Neil are still figuring out where they’re going to come to an end. We have loosely heard there will be a Season 3 idea, but at this point, we’re taking it one season at a time.”
A third season is not guaranteed at this point in time, Orsi said, adding that “I know they both have a vision for Season 3, but whether that lends itself to doing more seasons, I don’t know yet.”
The Last of Us–based on the Naughty Dog video game–is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Cordyceps fungus has transformed people into zombie-like monsters. Trapped in this horror landscape, Joel (Pascal) is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone–with dangerous creatures lurking everywhere.
Keep reading Horror News Network for the latest on Season 2 of The Last of Us on HBO.
