HBO renews ‘The Last of Us’ for a second season

hbo has renewed”The last of us” for season 2 faster than a deadly fungus can spread.

The premium cabler ordered a second season of the serial version of the PlayStation video game of the same name after only two episodes aired, with the third set airing this Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

“I am humbled, honored and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our narrative of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast and crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” said executive producer Neil Druckmann, who was also the game’s writer and creative director. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with the second season! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog and PlayStation, thank you!”

The move to renew the series is not surprising, as it has been a hit with critics and audiences alike. In addition to strong reviews with a 97% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, episode two hit 5.7 million viewers on HBO and HBO Max in the US this past Sunday. That represents a 22% jump over the 4.7 million who tuned in for the first episode, marking the highest audience growth in the second week for any HBO drama series in the network’s history. Additionally, HBO now says that episode one has reached 22 million viewers nationwide since it debuted on January 15.

“I am so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I am even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” said executive producer and showrunner Craig Mazin. “The audience has given us a chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world that Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

According to the official tagline, the series “takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts out as a small job soon turns into a brutal and harrowing journey as both must traverse the US and depend on each other for survival.”

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge like Marlene. , Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.

Mazin and Druckmann co-created the serialized version of “The Last Of Us,” and both served as executive producers. Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells, president of game development studio Naughty Dog, are executive producing with Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions, as well as Rose Lam. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog produce.

“Craig and Neil, along with EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of ‘The Last of Us,'” said Francesca Orsi, HBO Executive Vice President of Programming. and head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to see this team outshine itself again with season two.”

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