The Last of Us Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

With “The Last of Us,” Max (previously HBO Max) struck gold as the TV series received widespread appreciation and glowing reviews from critics and fans alike. The monstrous success of the TV show meant that a second season was inevitable, and it is definitely happening. While the road to season 2 is still long, here is everything you need to know about The Last of Us season 2.

Last of Us Season 2 Release Date: When is It Coming Out?

It’s been a while since the terrific finale of the TLOU series aired. From the start of 2023, HBO’s The Last of Us solidified its position as one of the best videogame adaptations ever with its debut season. As a result, Max had already given the greenlit signal to the creators to go ahead with the production of season 2 as the viewership of the series skyrocketed after just two episodes were aired back then.

We always knew a second season was imminent and now the production is also underway, but if you are wondering how long do we have to wait until the season 2 premieres? We have a definitive answer to that as the production staff has made an update about the status of season 2.

In an interview with Variety, Casey Bloys (CEO of Max) gave us away a major piece of information about the beginning of the production. According to him, the production of season 2 is anticipated to begin in February 2024.

[UPDATE] The official X account of HBO Max announced that season 2 has entered the production stage and the show is being shot in Vancouver. Additionally, we learned the 2025 release window of the season with a first look. Thus, The Last Of Us season 2 will be released in 2025 and we must wait for an exact release date.

How Many Episodes Are in The Last of Us Season 2?

In an interview with Deadline, co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin gave fans important updates about Season 2 and the upcoming season’s length. First, it’s now officially confirmed that The Last of Us Season 2 will consist of seven episodes, making it smaller than its predecessor.

This is because the source material is larger than it was for the first season and they intend to carry the plot into a third and possibly fourth season. In their words, the co-creators said:

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 – Craig Mazin

Furthermore, he added, “When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the natural breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.” Hence, season 2 will wrap up after just seven episodes and they want every episode to “feel like its own blockbuster.”

What is the Story of TLOU Season 2?

Season 2 of TLOU will majorly strive away from the setting of the first season with a five-year time skip period. Therefore, behold a dark and gritty tale set in a post-apocalyptic United States. Without spoiling anything, this is the expected plot of season 2 based on the TLOU 2 videogame:

Ellie seeks out on a retaliation mission to track down an unknown individual named Abby and her faction through the abandoned suburbs of Seattle.

If you want to hear about season2’s plot from the creators, Neil Druckmann remarked, “More specifically, it’s a continuation of love from the first season, and this is just the dark side of that coin, the pursuit of justice at any cost for the ones you love and the exploration of that.”

The Last of Us Season 2 Cast (New Updates)

Unlike the inaugural season, there are a lot more characters who will make their debut in season 2. As of June 2024, Max has announced a handful of talented actors who will be joining this new season. It includes:

• Kaitlyn Dever, who was the fan-favorite to play Ellie Williams back then, will play Abby (Known for Booksmart, Short Term 12, Unbelievable, etc)
• Young Mazino as Jesse (Known for Beef, Blindspot, etc)
• Isabela Merced as Dina (Known for Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, etc)
• Catherine O’Hara in an unknown role and rumored to be Seraphite Prophet (Known for Schitts Creek, Best in Show, Home Alone, etc)
• Danny Ramirez as Manny (Known for Top Gun: Maverick, No Exit, etc)
• Ariela Barer as Mel (Known for Runaways, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, etc)
• Tati Gabrielle as Nora (Known for Uncharted, The 100, etc)
• Spencer Lord as Owen (Known for Riverdale, The Good Doctor, etc)
• Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Dixon (Known for Westworld, The Batman, etc)

Aside from the new characters, the OG characters will also make their return in the second season. Some of the major actors who will reprise their roles in season 2 are:

• Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller
• Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams
• Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller
• Rutina Wesley as Maria Miller

Production Crew of The Last of Us Season 2

The cast and crew of the first season have been further strengthened by new additions for season 2. For now, the staff helming the season 2 project are:

• Creators and Writers: Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin
• Directors: Peter Hoar, Kate Herron, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, and Nina Lopez-Corrado
• Executive Producers: Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells
• Produced By: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
• Music Composers: Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming

Is the Last of Us Show Going to Have More Seasons?

Lastly, we have some details from the showrunners about the future seasons of The Last of Us as well. At this moment, season 3 is definitely in the cards and we can be hopeful about season 4 as well. Mazin also said that season 3 will be significantly larger and shared with us a lot about the second and third seasons of TLOU:

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 go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too. 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. – Craig Mazin

And that’s everything we know about the second season of the Max smash hit, The Last of Us, so far. We were left to wait without any update for a long time but as the new year kicked off, we are slowly getting numerous major updates about the second season. The production will further begin shortly, and we will be getting even more updates shortly. So stay tuned!

While the waiting period can be excruciating, a remastered version of the Last of Us Part II game is out now. So, if you are a gamer like me, I highly recommend you get the game to experience the post-apocalyptic adventure yourself.