HBO’s The Last of Us season 2 receives a tentative filming start date from CEO Casey Bloys, who hopes production will begin in early 2024.
Summary
- The Last of Us season 2 is tentatively set to start filming in early 2024, following delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
- Despite speculation, no key players for season 2 had been cast during the season 1 production, according to showrunner Craig Mazin.
- Season 1’s success has led to high anticipation for season 2, with viewers eager for the next chapter in Joel and Ellie’s story.
HBO’s The Last of Us season 2 receives a tentative filming start date, as the next chapter of the PlayStation video game adaptation is expected to start filming in early 2024. The hit show starred Pedro Pascal as smuggler Joel Miller, who is hired to escort Bella Ramsey’s Ellie Williams across a North America ravaged by a deadly fungal virus that turns victims into monstrous beings. The Last of Us season 2 will pick up after season 1, adapting the events of the 2020 video game sequel The Last of Us Part II.
While the ongoing SAGAFTRA strike continues as actors take a stand for fairer pay and career assurances, Variety has reported that HBO CEO Casey Bloys expects production on The Last of Us season 2 to begin soon. During a press conference concerning the network’s future, the CEO stated that season 2 will begin filming in early 2024 following delays. It is expected that season 2 will not air that year, with a more likely release window in 2025.
How Far Into Production Is The Last of Us Season 2
With The Last of Us season 1 being a viewership hit for the network, the show was quickly renewed for season 2 in January two weeks of the series debut. As such, even as season 1 was released, there was a large amount of speculation surrounding whether there had been any hints or set-up towards season 2’s events. However, despite speculation surrounding potential character debuts in later episodes, showrunner Craig Mazin debunked various cameo theories, stating that key players for season 2 hadn’t been cast at the time of season 1’s production.
Pre-production had begun on The Last of Us season 2 in early 2023, with a writers’ room being established and a roadmap being established just before the Writers Guild of America took their strike actions in May, and Mazin and creator Neil Druckmann set aside their pens to fight for fairer deals. Before the process was paused, Mazin hinted that adapting The Last of Us Part II could take multiple seasons rather than confining it to a single season. Furthermore, Mazin revealed that the Last of Us season 2 had already cast a new protagonist, Abby Anderson.
The Last of Us was a surprise hit that helped further prove that the curse of lackluster video game adaptations was gone. Between touching original stories and expansions to incredible faithfulness to the source material, the HBO series satisfied both curious newcomers and existing viewers. Though the current state of negotiations between the studios and union could impact Bloys’ hopes for season 2’s production, viewers will nevertheless be eager for 2024, and their next glimpse at Joel and Ellie’s next chapter.
