Will there be a Last of Us season 2 on HBO?

Speaking to Deadline, Druckmann said: "We loved what we made. We’re very proud of it. Fans have responded very positively to it. So, for us now, it’s important to replicate the process, how Craig and I work, and how we’re going to put the show together.

"There’s some learnings and things that I feel we can make it even better going into season 2, but the pressure is usually self-imposed more from the outside, so I want to make sure we end up with something that, again, we’re proud of and does justice to the game that came before it."

Meanwhile, Mazin added: "From a process point of view, Neil and I are pretty much in agreement that we’re not changing a damn thing.

Our process worked. We worked really well together. We adapted where we wanted to adapt, how we wanted to adapt. We stayed close to the material. Sometimes we drifted away from the material, but that process worked great. So, we’re not changing that process at all. We are going to [continue to] push ourselves in all sorts of ways."

One of the ways they will be pushing themselves is in the use of technology, with Mazin saying they're going to "keep moving the bar up and up and up". As if we couldn't get any more excited.

Meanwhile, Druckmann and Mazin have also said that the second season likely won't cover the whole of the second game, pretty much confirming that season 3 will also be happening. "It’s more than one season," Druckmann told GQ.

Mazin added: "You have noted correctly that we will not say how many. But more than one is factually correct."

For now, though, we've got a second season to look forward to! Here's everything we know so far about The Last of Us season 2.

Will there be a The Last of Us season 2?

Yes, The Last of Us has officially been renewed for season 2.

Executive producer Neil Druckmann, who created the game, said: "I’m humbled, honoured, 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!”

Mazin previously told RadioTimes.com and other press: "In this world where television series are entirely flexible, they can have as many episodes as apparently they need - and on certain platforms, you can have as much time per episode as you need - things sometimes are getting stretched.

"And I am a very demanding TV watcher. When somebody says to me, 'You should watch this. Now, you got to get to season 3, episode 9, that's when it really takes off,' I'm like, 'No, I'm not going to do that.' I want to be in on season 1, episode 1, and I want every episode to justify its existence. I want to feel compelled all the way through."

He continued: "I never want to feel like they're just filling time to create more show. We're all too smart, we know it when we see it. And for me also, I have no interest in creating a television series that is designed to go on forever. I love endings. And I don't know what the point of anything is if it isn't all wrapped together in a perfect circle of beginning to end.

"So to me, the narrative of the first game was gorgeous, it was complete, it deserved a season, we knew how to do it within a season. And so that was was kind of a no brainer. And I promise, if we are lucky enough to get more seasons, and keep telling the story, we will continue to make sure that every episode is worth its weight."

And what have the cast said about the possibility of a second run? Ramsey previously mentioned she'd be over the moon with more seasons, recently telling Elle that she would come back to The Last of Us "forever".

"There’s no limits for me," she added. "They can do as many games as they like, as many series as they like, and I’ll be here, flying back out to Canada.”

The Last of Us season 2 release date speculation

Pascal recently said there "is a chance" that filming on season 2 could begin in 2023.

If this is indeed the case, and season 2 follows in the footsteps of season 1, shooting would end slightly less than a year later in 2024, with the season airing about six months later.

This means fans could expect a late 2024 or early 2025 season 2 release date.

However, that's just speculation at this point and viewers will have to wait for more information.

What will The Last of Us season 2 be about?

The Last of Us season 2 will cover the events of the popular game The Last of Us Part 2, which was released in 2020.

You'll have to watch the show to find out where Joel and Ellie end up, but the showrunners have mentioned their desire to adapt the second game - although mentioned it won't be a completely faithful adaptation.

Druckmann previously told The Hollywood Reporter: "We have no plans to tell any stories beyond adapting the games. We won’t run into the same issue as Game of Thrones since Part 2 doesn’t end on a cliffhanger."

Mazin added: “I don’t have any interest in a spinning-plates-go-on-forever show. When it becomes a perpetual motion machine, it just can’t help but get kind of... stupid. Endings mean everything to me.”

More recently, Druckmann told ComicBook.com: "It will be different. Just as this season was different.

"Sometimes it will be different radically and sometimes it will be barely different at all. But it's going to be different and it will be its own thing."

The Last of Us is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership.

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