Between the Daredevil: Born Again season 1 finale, Andor season 2, and The Last of Us's long-awaited second season, April is shaping up to be one heck of a month for television.
HBO and Max have today released some new character posters for The Last of Us which put the spotlight on the show's new and returning cast members. Crucially, we're sure you'll notice that these pay homage to The Last of Us Part II's iconic cover.
Fans of the Naughty Dog video game franchise will be aware of just how dark things should get in season 2. However, there's nothing to say this series is heading down the same route, especially with a third season expected to follow as this story continues to expand.
"They think they do," showrunner Craig Mazin recently said when he was asked about fans thinking they know where the story is going. "We adapt the way we adapted season one; we look at the story, we pull things that we know we want to be exactly the same."
"There are things where we think, 'We love this, but it’s worth expanding on or changing to fit the new medium,' and there are things that we think actually wouldn’t translate well. I think [gamers] probably should expect the unexpected. We won’t always do the things you think we’re going to do. Sometimes we do the things you thought we were going to do in a different way, at a different time."
"All I can say," Mazin noted, "is that if you give us your trust, by the time we get to the end of the season, I think you’ll be happy."
The Last of Us season 2's returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria.
Other announced new additions include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.
The Last of Us, based on the acclaimed video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation consoles, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells; with writer/co-executive producer Halley Gross. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
The seven-episode second season premieres on Sunday, April 13 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes of The Last of Us will debut on subsequent Sundays.