To nobody’s surprise, HBO has renewed The Last of Us for season 2. The official social media accounts for the series posted the news, giving the title card with the second season banner underneath the spore-infested title.
After only two episodes, The Last of Us was breaking records on HBO, making everyone anticipate it being renewed to adapt the second game that was published on PS4 in 2020. The premiere was the second biggest debut in the last decade, being right behind last year’s megahit, House of the Dragon. The second episode saw a 22% increase in viewers, making those 5.7 million views putting the second episode as the biggest growth for an HBO original drama.
The first season is an adaption of the 2013 PS3 video game developed by Naughty Dog. It follows Joel, a survivor of a zombie apocalypse, being tasked with taking a teenage girl, Ellie, across the country to a rebel group known as the Fireflies. The second game takes place five years after those events and follows Ellie on a quest for revenge after a traumatic event.
The Last of Us renewed for season 2 to spread its infection
The journey continues. #TheLastOfUs will return for another season on @HBOMax. pic.twitter.com/FQNG6vhk1d
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) January 27, 2023
The Last of Us being renewed comes in during a time in which HBO Max has seen plenty of cuts of projects. Warner Bros. Discovery has cut films like Batgirl and then canceled shows like Titans and Westworld. Still, in the midst of cancelations, some have risen above, like the video game adaption, The White Lotus, and House of the Dragon, all having another outing.
The third episode of The Last of Us will likely see its increase in viewership amidst word of mouth, overwhelmingly positive reviews, and it being renewed. It will hit HBO and HBO Max on Sunday (January 29) at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. It stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, and Gabriel Luna.