“The Last of Us” Season 2 is on HBO

“The Last of Us” Season 1 won’t be the last of HBO’s acclaimed new series. The post-apocalyptic drama has been renewed for a second season on HBO, the premium cable channel announced on Friday.

The news is not surprising after the series debuted to extremely strong ratings with its first two episodes. Episode 1 attracted 4.7 million viewers on its first day of release, making it the second biggest HBO premiere of the decade after last year’s Game of Thrones trailer, “House of the Dragon,” and has since reached 22 million viewers in the domestic market. United States. The latest second episode was up 22 percent from its 5.7 million debut, the biggest week 2 increase in viewers for a drama series in HBO history. The first season of the series consists of nine episodes, the finale is scheduled for March 12.

“I am humbled, honored and, frankly, overwhelmed that so many people have engaged and connected with us in our narrative of Joel and Ellie’s journey. Working with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast and crew, and HBO has exceeded my already high expectations,” said co-showrunner Neil Druckmann. “Now we are very pleased to be able to do it again with the second season! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog and PlayStation, thank you!”

“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” added Druckmann co-showrunner Craig Mazin. “Audiences have given us the opportunity to continue, and as a fan of Neil and Naughty Dog’s characters and world, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

Based on the 2013 video game developed by Druckmann and developed for Playstation 3 by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us stars former Game of Thrones cast members Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, the original game’s protagonists. video game. It takes place in the post-apocalyptic United States, where the world has been destroyed by a fungal infection. The story follows Joel, a smuggler working in Boston, who is given the protection of 14-year-old Ellie on a cross-country trip. After the death of his little girl, Joel slowly defends his new charge and his morals are tested as he tries to keep her safe during their difficult journey.

Season 1 Recurring Cast: Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Murray Bartlett, Melanie Lynskey, Nick Offerman, Storm Reid, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Nico Parker, and Keivonn Woodard. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, the voice and motion capture actors behind Ellie and Joel in the original games, also appear as new characters in the series.

Mazin and Druckmann executive produce the series for HBO alongside Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan and Rose Lam. Sony Pictures Television is producing the series in association with HBO, while PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog are additional production companies.

Since its premiere, “The Last of Us” has received critical acclaim and praise for Pascal and Ramsey’s performances and the show’s production. IndieWire TV critic Ben Travers called the series an “amazing survival story” in his review.

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