- Neil Druckmann confirmed he will not be a part of the creative team of HBO's The Last of Us show in a statement today.
- Unfortunately, Halley Gross, the co-writer and executive producer of the show, is also leaving alongside Neil.
- TLOU Season 3 will be helmed solely by Craig Mazin, the co-creator of the TLOU show.
HBO’s The Last of Us TV show returned with the most-awaited second season earlier this year. Unlike the first season, TLOU season 2 received a mixed bag of responses from fans as several changes impacted the original narrative of the game. However, the new season also featured standout episodes in which Neil Druckmann was involved. Well, there will be no more of Neil Druckmann’s creative touch in the upcoming seasons of The Last of Us as the co-creator has announced his unexpected departure.
The official X account of Naughty Dog shared Neil’s message to the fans out of the blue earlier today. Neil Druckmann officially announced he is stepping away from his creative role in HBO’s The Last of Us TV show to concentrate and dedicate his attention to Naughty Dog’s future projects, which include their next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Furthermore, Neil expressed his deep appreciation for working with Craig Mazin and extended his gratitude to the whole cast and crew who brought The Last of Us game to life. Although he has parted ways with the creative team, Neil will remain as the executive producer and co-creator of the TLOU show.
Halley Gross, co-writer of the TLOU Part 2 game (review), writer, and executive producer of the TLOU show, is also departing the HBO show along with Neil Druckmann. She announced her exit in an Instagram post soon after Neil’s departure was made public.
Halley remarked that it was a special experience to work alongside Craig and Neil to tell the beautiful tale of The Last of Us. Now, she has decided to leave to make space for her future projects, which will be revealed soon.
The sudden exit of Neil and Halley has left the fans shocked. Even though the second season was lauded by critics, TLOU fans condemned the show’s direction, especially the unnecessary changes to the main characters. Now, Neil and Haley have passed the baton completely to Craig Mazin, who will solely write Abby’s character arc in The Last of Us Season 3. Craig also commented about Neil’s departure as:
It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil’s work in video games, I’m beyond excited to play his next game.
Craig further promised that he will deliver the third season fans want to see, saying, “While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”
Abby will take the center stage in The Last of Us Season 3, which is in the works already. That said, do you think the unexpected exit of Neil and Halley will affect the future seasons of the TLOU show? Let us know in the comments below.
