During last night’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann officially revealed that The Last of Us season two is set to premiere this April, exclusively on HBO and streaming on Max.
The upcoming season will feature seven episodes. While a specific premiere date hasn’t been confirmed, mid-April seems likely, aligning with the release window previously occupied by Game of Thrones during its heyday.
Picking up five years after the events of season one, the story will revisit Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Season one ended with Joel rescuing an unconscious Ellie from the Fireflies, then lying to her about the circumstances, claiming a cure was impossible and that raiders had forced them to flee. As season two begins, it appears Ellie has started to see through Joel’s well-meaning deception, creating a tense dynamic between the pair when we catch up with them this spring.
Fans of the beloved video game franchise are familiar with what’s ahead, but watching The Last of Us Part II come to life promises to be a thrilling experience. While earlier reports suggested the game’s complex narrative would span multiple seasons, it remains unclear how far season two will delve into its story.
Returning cast members include Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., True Detective) as Tommy and Rutina Wesley (True Blood, Queen Sugar, Hannibal) as Maria. Joining the cast are Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Dopesick, Unbelievable) as Abby, Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Instant Family, Sweet Girl) as Dina, Young Mazino (Beef, Proven Innocent, Blindspot) as Jesse, Ariela Barer (Runaways, Rebel, Atypical) as Mel, Tati Gabrielle (You, The 100, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Nora, Spencer Lord (A Jazzman’s Blues, The Middle of X, Westworld) as Owen, Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, No Exit) as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, The Batman, The Hunger Games) as Isaac.
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, Beetlejuice) will also guest star in three episodes, though details about her role remain tightly under wraps.
Directors for season two include Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Kate Herron, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Mark Mylod, and Stephen Williams, bringing a strong creative team to the highly anticipated follow-up season.
Watch the new trailer below:
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.