The Last of Us Creator Says Season 2 Will Start Production Sooner Than You Think

The Last of Us surpassed even the highest expectations for may fans when it arrived on HBO earlier this year. While it was already known that a second season of the show had already been green-lit, fans have been desperate to know how long it will be before the series returns again for another round of apocalyptic horror. According to Neil Druckmann, the production on season 2 is not going to take as long as some feared.

The Last of Us’ creator spoke recently to Deadline and confirmed a positive update for fans of the series, saying that it will be “months, not years” before filming commences on the much anticipated continuation of the story of Joel and Ellie. Although Druckman and writer Craig Mazin would not be drawn into specifics of the new season’s plot, Mazin did share a little about the way the second season will be developed. He said:

“The process for season 2 is exactly the same, so to say we will certainly be drawing very heavily from the source material, and people can draw their conclusions from that.”

This is something that will please fans of the series, and with Mazin recently having revealed that he expects the series being around for “a while” despite originally saying that it would not “go on forever,” The Last of Us is potentially going to be a staple of HBO’s schedules for a few years yet.

Related: Pedro Pascal Says The Last of Us Season 2 Must Stay Faithful to the Game

The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal Tried To Ignore Public Opinions About The Show.

Although The Last of Us was received positively by the vast majority of viewers, both those who have played the video game and those new to the story, there were some who were unhappy with certain aspects of it. Whether it was changes made to the plot, the expansion of LGBTQ+ themes or what some called “filler” episodes, there were those who were not completely on board with the way the show developed. While many opinions were shared online to this effect, star Pedro Pascal revealed that he had mostly managed to avoid finding out how people were receiving the show. Around the time of the season one finale, Pascal said:

“I feel protected from what the conversation is in a way. And I think that personally I haven’t really been ready for it to sort of be over, so I’ve kept my distance from its finale in a way. It hasn’t intruded upon my experience in terms of what people’s opinions for or against are, in terms of a very specific decision the character makes. I guess I’m actively being ignorant about how everyone feels about it, but it hasn’t been too hard to be, if that makes any sense. No one’s yelled at me in the street. Or been like, ‘How could you do that?’”

How the second season will differ from its video game source is yet to be seen, but based on the storyline of that game, fans will be in for a rough ride if the series continues to mirror the already established narrative to its conclusion. The Last of Us is expected to return to HBO sometime in 2024.