Get ready for a lot more “The Last of Us.”
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s HBO adaptation of Druckmann’s post-apocalyptic game received significant ratings on the cable network while being widely praised as the first truly great series based on a video game. The series was quickly renewed for a second season, and the gut-wrenching finale only increased expectations for Season 2.
The two showrunners haven’t revealed much about their creative plans for Season 2, but anyone who’s played “The Last of Us Part II” can guess where the series will go. The sequel was at least as acclaimed as the video game that preceded it, so Mazin and Druckmann will have plenty of source material. But while only two “Last of Us” games have been released, the two showrunners believe the series will last much longer. Gamers who have played ‘Part II’ will know that the second part is open-ended enough to suggest that there are more games to come.
Appearing on a panel at the NAB Show in Las Vegas on Sunday (through the deadline), Mazin said that fans should not expect the series to end after Season 2. “We have to be here for a while.”
Mazin’s comments echo similar comments he made in a recent interview with IndieWire. He explained that while he and Druckmann were always focused on making Season 1 the best it could be, they were extremely conscious of making future seasons.
“While we greenlit one season of television, Neil and I felt we couldn’t just do one season of television without thinking about what comes after,” he said. “More ‘The Last of Us’ to come. And I think the balance is not always just on an episode or even episode to episode basis, but a season.”
Mazin added that while the settings and stories may change in future seasons — especially if the story goes beyond what’s explored in the games — what’s important is that the writing process remains the same.
“One of the things that Neil and I talked about over and over was not to change our process,” he said. “Our process works. Our process of kicking the tires on everything is agreeing that no matter how much we disagree, we will find a way to agree. There is no right of veto here, just: we’ll figure it out.”
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