HBO has renewed “The Last of Us” for a second season

HBO new ones “The last of usFor the second season, the spread of deadly fungus is faster.

The premium cabler has ordered a second season of the serialized version of the PlayStation video game of the same name after only two episodes aired, with the third set to premiere Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

“I feel humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have followed us and connected with our account of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our amazing cast and crew, and HBO exceeded my high expectations,” said Executive Producer Neil Druckmann, who was also the game’s writer and creative director. Indeed.” 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! ”

The move to renew the series wasn’t much of a surprise, as it was a hit with both critics and audiences. In addition to strong reviews with a 97% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the second episode reached 5.7 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max in the US last Sunday. That’s a 22% jump from the 4.7 million people who tuned in to the first episode, which represents Biggest audience growth in the second week of any HBO drama series in the network’s history. Moreover, HBO now says that the first episode has reached 22 million viewers domestically since its January 15 debut.

“I am 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,” said Executive Producer and Showrunner Craig Mazin. “We gave the audience a chance to catch on, and as a fan of the characters and the world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more willing to go back to it again.”

According to the official log, the series takes place “20 years after the destruction of modern civilization. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a fanatical survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What begins As a small mission it soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the United States and rely on each other to survive.”

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, the first season also stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and Storm Reid as Riley, and Merle Dandridge as Marilyn. , Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Kevon Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Ellen Miles as Florence. It also stars Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.

Mazen and Druckmann co-created the series version of “The Last Of Us”, and both serve as executive producers. Caroline Strauss and Evan Wells, head of game development studio Naughty Dog, are executive producing with Asad Qizilbash of PlayStation Productions and Carter Swan as well as Rose Lamm. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sony Pictures Television. It produces PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.

said Francesca Orci, Executive Vice President of Programming for HBO and President of HBO Dramatic Series and Films. “After coming off such a memorable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team shine again with a second season.”

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