The showrunners of The Last of Us series, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, have recently revealed details about the future of the series and how they plan to develop the story in the coming seasons.
During an interview with Deadline, it was revealed that the second season of the series will consist of only seven episodes. However, the long-term plan is to tell the full story over three more seasons. This means that, if The Last of Us continues to be successful with the public, the series could be extended to a total of four seasons.
The expansion of the story in several seasons
The first season covered the events of the first game, but there is so much content in the sequel that the creators have decided to split it into additional seasons. Mazin explained: “The story material we got from Part II of the game is much longer than the first game, so from the beginning we had to figure out how to tell that story over several seasons.”
“When you do that, you look for natural breaking points, and in planning it, this season, the natural breaking point seemed to come after seven episodes.”
2nd season shorter but intense
Additionally, Mazin spoke about the decision to expand the story: “We don’t think we can tell the story even in two seasons (2 and 3) because we are taking our time and exploring interesting paths, something we also did a little in the first season . “We think we will almost certainly need a fourth season.”
The second season, which will have only seven episodes, is not a reflection of less dedication. Mazin clarified: “We want to reassure people that just because this season is a little shorter than the first doesn’t mean we’re taking less time to tell the stories. “It’s because we want to dedicate more time.”
“The story we’re telling is much bigger than Season 1, the stakes are much higher, it’s much harder to produce, but we want every episode to feel like a blockbuster.”
The long-term vision for the series
Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin also emphasized that they will not go beyond the original game material. Mazin added: “As a fan, I’m excited by the idea that there could be a third The Last of Us game. “As the co-creator of this television series, there is no way I want our show to go beyond the source material that people already know.”
Mazin and Druckmann also revealed that they have mapped out the entire arc of the television series. Mazin commented: “We have a pretty clear concept of how it will work. What happens naturally when you focus on a season is finding that natural breaking point.”
For his part, Druckmann also made it clear that there is no filler in the series: “Our process was to outline several seasons, then delve into Season 2. There is no filler, everything that is there is intentional. There is always a goal in mind that we are heading towards, we never ramble for the sake of rambling.”
The production of the second season
Production on the second season is already underway and Mazin shared his excitement: “I just finished my first full week directing Season 2, Episode 1 and I couldn’t be happier or more excited. The magnitude of this is sometimes absolutely massive. And Season 3 promises to be just as big, if not bigger.”
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie, respectively. Also returning are Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria. The new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen and Danny Ramirez as Manny. Additionally, Catherine O’Hara will have a special appearance.
The second season is expected to premiere in 2025, and promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats with each episode.
