The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season at HBO.
Based on the best-selling video game series of the same name, the post-apocalyptic drama has received near universal acclaim – boasting a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – and the premiere has reportedly reached 22 million viewers domestically.
Neil Druckmann, executive producer, said in a statement: “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 two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”
Craig Mazin, executive producer and showrunner, added: “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.”
The Last of Us takes place 20 years after a mass fungal infection, caused by a mutatin in the genus Cordyceps, sparked a global pandemic. Petro Pascal stars as Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone across a post-apocalyptic wasteland in the United States.
Staying faithful to the source material, Ellie – who is immune to the Cordyceps brain infection and is the key to creating a vaccine to the virus – has been depicted as a lesbian.
The supporting cast includes Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Jeffrey Pierce and Lamar Johnson.
“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,’” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming and head of HBO Drama Series and Films.
“After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with season two.”
You can watch the first episode of The Last of Us in full on Sky TV’s official YouTube channel here or below.
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