Everything to Know About 'The Last of Us' Season 2
The HBO hit based on the beloved video game will be back for more. Find out the cast, plot details and more.
The Last Of Us Season 2 is coming.
HBO confirmed the news on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
“Craig and Neil, alongside 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,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming and Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said in a statement. “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can't wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with Season 2.”
HBO
Executive producer Neil Druckmann said, “I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations. Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with Season 2! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”
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Co-executive producer Craig Mazin gushed, “I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey. The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in."
Here's everything we know so far about The Last of Us Season 2, but beware of The Last of Us spoilers from the game and from Season 1 of the series!
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Will there be Season 2 of The Last of Us?
HBO
Indeed! HBO greenlit a second season in January 2023, long before The Last of Us Season 1 concluded.
Is there a Season 2 of The Last of Us?
You bet! A second season was announced in January 2023.
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When is The Last of Us Season 2 coming out?
No premiere date has yet been set for The Last of Us Season 2. Season 1 premiered in early January 2023, so depending on the series' filming schedule, we may see Season 2 in early 2024.
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When is Season 2 of The Last of Us coming out?
No premiere date has been set for Season 2 of The Last of Us just yet.
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Will Bella Ramsey be in The Last of Us Season 2?
Despite some speculation that Bella Ramsey wouldn't reprise the starring role of Ellie in Season 2, it's been confirmed she is returning. Her character is 17 in Season 1 and in the first The Last of Us game, and after the time jump to the second game The Last of Us Part II, her character is 19. Ramsey is currently 19, so that isn't an issue.
What happened in The Last of Us finale?
Beware of spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1 finale below. We warned you!
HBO
In a heartbreaking close to Season 1, Joel delivered Ellie to the Fireflies. Once there, Marlene revealed that in order to perform the procedure to attempt a vaccine, Ellie had to die. Ellie is unconscious and Joel is kidnapped to prevent him from interfering with the surgery.
HBO
Joel escapes and massacres everyone at the Fireflies' base, including the nurses and doctors who are performing the surgery. He takes the still-unconscious Ellie in his arms and they escape. When Ellie wakes up, he tells her that there are plenty of others with immunity to cordyceps and that the vaccine process wouldn't have worked on her.
HBO
If you follow the video games, you'll know that this is a huge deal and sets up the events of The Last of Us Part II almost exactly.
Who is in The Last of Us Season 2 cast?
The cast of The Last of Us Season 2 will largely depend on who survives the cordyceps outbreak until then. For now, we can assume Anna Torv won't return because her character Tess died in Season 1, Episode 2. In the series premiere, Sarah, played by Nico Parker, also died, as did Nana (Wendy Gorling), Robert (Brendan Fletcher) and Lee (Max Montesi).
In Episode 3, we said hello—and goodbye—to Bill and Frank (Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett). That said, flashbacks may bring any and all of these characters back at some point.
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That means the following characters and stars will be back, barring their potential deaths and outcomes later in Season 1:
Pedro Pascal as Joel
HBO
Of course, Pedro Pascal will be back as Joel as he and Ellie make their way through the wasteland that America became after the outbreak.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
HBO
Game of Thrones alum Bella Ramsey will return as Ellie, a girl with an apparent immunity to the outbreak who may be the key to mankind's survival and the restoration of civilization.
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Storm Reid as Riley
HBO
Storm Reid plays Riley, a friend of Ellie. She may appear in flashbacks.
Merle Dandridge as Marlene
HBO
Station 19 star Merle Dandridge may reprise her role of Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, in flashbacks in Season 2. Dandridge voiced Marlene in The Last of Us games.
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
HBO
Gabriel Luna will likely return as Tommy, Joel's idealistic younger brother and a former soldier. In the series, their relationship is warmer than it was in the game, where they were estranged.
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Graham Green as Marlon
Graham Green might return for Season 2 in his role of Marlon, a Wyoming resident.
Elaine Miles as Florence
Elaine Miles plays Florence, Marlon's wife, and could be back for Season 2.
How many episodes is The Last of Us Season 2?
HBO
An episode count hasn't been revealed yet for Season 2 of The Last of Us. If it follows the pattern of Season 1, it will likely be nine episodes.
What happens in The Last of Us Season 2?
HBO
It's speculated that The Last of Us Season 2 will mirror the events of The Last of Us Part II, but it remains to be seen how faithful the show will be to the source material. For the most part, Season 1 made fans of the video game happy, but there have been some differences, including new characters.
The Season 1 finale mirrored the events of the first The Last of Us video game very closely.
Without spoiling too much, we can say that The Last of Us Part II largely takes place in and around Wyoming and further west. Creators also said that we'll see more infected and more action in Season 2.
Where does The Last of Us Season 2 take place?
On March 31, 2023, it was reported that The Last of Us Season 2 would film in Vancouver. The first season was filmed in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but didn't take place there in the story.
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How to watch The Last of Us Season 2
The Last of Us Season 2 will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.
Is there a The Last of Us Season 2 trailer?
No trailer has been released yet for The Last of Us Season 2—and it probably isn't even in production yet because it only just got greenlit! But watch this space, because as soon as one is available, we'll have it for you here.