The Last of Us proved to be a massive hit for HBO, and fans of the series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are champing at the bit for Season 2 that will continue the story of the critically-acclaimed video game. Fortunately for Last of Us fans, the month of January 2024 saw a flurry of activity as the creative team got to work locking down the Season 2 cast so it can start production next month.
Here’s everything to know about the new season:
Plot
Just like The Last of Us Season 1 tackled the events of the first video game, Season 2 will begin adapting the hit sequel The Last of Us Part II. That game catches up our main characters after Joel gunned down a group of Firefly resistance fighters after learning that that harvesting the cure for the cordyceps virus would kill Ellie. After escaping with an unconscious Ellie, Joel lied to her and said the Fireflies had no way of creating a cure with a blood.
That lie will come back to haunt both of them as the story continues. Here’s the official synopsis for the sprawling The Last of Us Part II video game, which will be adapted in Season 2, Season 3, and possibly even Season 4:
After slaughtering members of the Fireflies rebel group to save Ellie, Joel is now living in Jackson with his surrogate daughter, as well as Maria and his brother Tommy. When a violent event disrupts their peace, Ellie becomes obsessed with hunting down those responsible, even as she’s forced to deal with the physical and emotional repercussions of her actions.
Cast
In January 2024, casting for The Last of Us Season 2 kicked into overdrive. Kaitlyn Dever joined the series in the pivotal role of Abby, confirming months of rumors that the actress was being considered for the character who plays a central part in the The Last of Us Part II video game.
On the heels of Dever joining the series, Variety reported that Beef star Young Mazino has been cast as Jesse, “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.” That news was followed shortly by reports that Isabel Merced has been cast as Dina, a character who showrunner Craig Mazin described as “warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable.”
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will obviously be back to reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie, respectively. Gabriel Luna is also expected to return as Joel’s brother Tommy.
Release Date
The Last of Us Season 2 is set to start production in February 2024, which most likely puts it premiere some time in 2025. HBO has yet to announce a release date as of this writing.
Trailer
Considering Season 2 hasn’t even started filming, there is no footage for a trailer. However, with production starting soon, promotional photos should arrive within the coming months. We will keep you posted when they do.
The Last of Us Season 1 is available for streaming on Max.