Image: HBO
HBO might need three more seasons to fully adapt The Last of Us Part 2.
In a recent interview with Deadline, the showrunners of HBO’s The Last of Us hinted that it might take three more seasons to fully adapt the events of the games. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann also confirmed that Season 2 will be much shorter than Season 1, but a, “significantly larger,” Season 3 is in the works.
HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 will begin adapting the events of The Last of Us Part 2, though it looks like the game will need three whole seasons to be covered properly.
HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 will only run for seven episodes
The Last of Us showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann recently spoke to Deadline to confirm that the series’ second season will run for only seven episodes. That makes it a whole two episodes shorter than the first season, which Mazin attributes to a, “natural breakpoint,” in the story they were adapting. Season 2 will begin adapting the events of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2.
In the interview, Mazin stated that the, “story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game,” addressing the fact that Part 2 is a much longer game than its predecessor. That means it would take more than one season for the HBO series to cover its events.
In figuring out how to pace that story across multiple seasons, Mazin said that he looked, “for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the natural breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.” While future seasons will likely depend on the series’ viewership for Season 2, Mazin and Druckmann are already gearing up for more episodes.
The Last of Us might need three whole seasons to adapt Part 2
That means that if all goes well, the series isn’t just getting a third season - but a fourth season as well. Mazin said, “We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and ]going] down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too.”
While the series will still require HBO’s approval and no small number of viewers to keep going, Mazin remarks that, “Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.” Later in the interview, the showrunner seemed to double down on a potential Season 4 by saying, “One thing is absolutely for sure, I don’t see how we could tell the story that remains after Season 2 is complete in one more season.”
Mazin was also careful to note that despite Season 2 being shorter by two episodes, it’s still getting just as much love as the first season. “The story that we’re telling is much bigger than the story of Season 1, there’s just a lot more going on, it’s a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster to be honest with you.”
The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere sometime in 2025 on HBO. Newcomers to the cast include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Young Mazino as Jesse, Isabela Merced as Dina, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny and Catherine O’Hara in a mystery role. Jeffrey Wright will also reprise his role as Isaac from the Naughty Dog game.
