The first season of HBO's The Last of Us has come to a triumphant and tragic end, following one of the greatest debuts in modern television history. The forged bond between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) that began in acrimony ended as found family, but there was a sting in the tail thanks to the emotional gut punch of a final scene. Now, comes the agonizing wait for audiences to find out where the story goes as Joel and Ellie return to civilization, both knowing in their hearts that their relationship can never truly be the same after what took place in the Salt Lake City hospital.
With confirmation arriving weeks ago, following the thunderous success of the show both critically and in audience figures, that a second season of the show had been commissioned, speculation then began about how The Last of Us Part II - a behemoth of a video game - could possibly be adapted into one single season of television. Well, the answer to that question has now been answered by showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in quite simple fashion - it won't be. Speaking with GQ, the pair were asked if season 2 would encompass the entirety of the game, and the response was absolute.
"No, no way," said Mazin, with Druckmann adding: “It’s more than one season.” When prompted further on just how many seasons it would require to tell the entirety of Joel and Ellie's story, they were less committal. “You have noted correctly that we will not say how many. But more than one is factually correct," said Mazin.
The Last of Us Part II will bring back numerous characters already introduced to audiences in its first season, including Joel, Ellie, Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and his wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley). Now, however, speculation will begin on who will be joining the cast to play the pivotal role of Abby Anderson, a new and key character in the narrative of Part II. Abby's voice and motion capture actor, Laura Bailey, also made a cameo appearance in the season finale of the show which aired last night.
So far, HBO has only officially greenlit one more season of The Last of Us, but given its blockbuster success - and its inevitable awards run later in the year - further seasons will surely be a matter of just crossing the Ts and dotting the Is. To read more from Mazin and Druckmann, check out our report on the virtual press conference held to mark the end of the first season, and look ahead to Season 2.