The first four seasons of Game of Thrones are widely regarded by both fans of the show and readers of George R.R. Martin’s books as some of the best television ever made—an outstanding example of adapting a novel for the small screen. However, that changed when the showrunners ran out of GRRM’s source material and had to improvise, particularly in the later seasons leading up to its controversial ending.
Thankfully, HBO’s The Last of Us won’t face the same issue, according to the game’s creator Neil Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin.
In an interview, Mazin made it clear that The Last of Us series won’t extend beyond the storyline of the games. “I am not going to go past the game. I’ll just say that flat out,” he stated when asked if the show might continue past the second season if it proves successful and is made before another The Last of Us game.
Advertisement Mazin emphasized his dedication to the project, saying, “I’m basically setting a decade of my rapidly dwindling life on fire to tell this story,” and clarified that he has no intention of creating another season just for a “cash grab.”
The show is so hard to make. It has to have an end. So I’m not going to go past. Who knows me, there might be a Dunk and Egg The Last of Us [Dunk and Egg being a spinoff of Game of Thrones] show that happens that somebody does. But for me, the only question is: Is it going to be one more season or will it require two more? If this can happen all in one more season, great. If we feel like it makes sense to break it into two, then we will do that.
He further explained,
Although details about The Last of Us Season 2 have been limited, Mazin mentioned that its tone could be likened to The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy.
I think about that a lot — because I love The Empire Strikes Back, and I think everybody should, We love that one because the second act is the tough act. That’s when everything is challenged and characters go through these moments where they can’t be who they used to be, but they’re also not ready to be who they’re supposed to be. There’s a sense of feeling lost. And I love that.
Mazin said
Mazin also noted that Joel and Ellie had some plot armor and luck in the first season. However, this time, “They aren’t getting away with s—.”
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on Max on April 13. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie, with Gabriel Luna returning as Joel’s brother Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Tommy’s wife, Maria.