HBO’s The Last of Us for Max has been one of the best video game adaptations of recent times. The zombie-apocalypse-themed show based on the video game series of the same name captured the attention of 4.7 million viewers on the first day. The show went on to claim a whopping 40 million viewers within two months of its release. Following the grand reception of the show, fans had a clear understanding that the HBO flagship will have more seasons, but how many?
The Last of Us Season 2 Is In The Production
Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us season 2. Image Credit: HBO
The Last of Us season 2 is in production. Recently, HBO dropped two images of the show’s lead stars, Pedro Pascal who played Joel and Ellie star Bella Ramsey. That’s certainly good news for every fan waiting for the second season of the series. But again, according to the series co-creator, executive producer, and director Craig Mazin told Deadline, the second season will have fewer episodes than the first season.
Season 1 of The Last of Us contained a total of nine episodes while season 2 will end with seven episodes. “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, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons,” Mazin told the outlet explaining the reason behind lesser episodes of its second season.
The showrunners wanted to find the finest ending for season two and it would not go beyond the seventh season with that point. “When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the national breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes,” Mazin added.
The Last of Us Creators Teased Potential Seasons Required
Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season 2. Image Credit: HBO
The Last of Us strictly follows the essence of the game. The series creators revealed that season 3 will be essential to tell the tale the way they have mapped out the show but a third season is yet to pick up by HBO. A fourth season is also possible but as of now, that is far ahead. “We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3],” Mazin told Deadline teasing the potential fourth season for the series. “Because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too,” he added.
Mazin further revealed that the extension of the show would largely depend on the viewership, “We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.” But through the POV of Mazin, the formulation of the complete narrative would definitely require 4 seasons, “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.”
The Last of Us season 2 does not have a release date as of yet but the season may land on Max in 2025 considering the show has just begun filming.
