The Last of Us garnered promising results in just nine episodes, earning a greenlit Season 2 on its way to HBO.
Apart from its faithful adaptation straight from the Naughty Dog video game, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s performance as Joel Miller and Ellie have captured the hearts of every fan and non-fan viewers on the HBO show.
It’s no secret that showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have been planning for The Last of Us Season 2, especially since the video game had a Part II, as well, featuring the aftermath of what transpired in the controversial season finale.
However, despite the initial projection of Season 2 releasing soon, a new report sheds light on why the second season could take longer than initially thought.
Variety reports that the audition and production process for the series has inevitably been paused given the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
Druckmann previously assured the audience that the filming and production for The Last of Us Season 2 will be “months, not years, away from starting,” implying that they’re eyeing a late 2023 date to jump back.
It is worth noting that the first season took approximately 18 months before it eventually premiered on the streaming service, which could lead to trouble in beginning Season 2.
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The news outlet added that there are no penned scripts yet for The Last of Us Season 2, along with the casting process for the series still ongoing with the use of the Part II video game to ease up the procedure.
It remains to be seen how long Season 2 will arrive, however, as long as the WGA strike is happening, it’s clear that halting production is necessary for Hollywood writers to earn their rights to fair compensation and job security.
Delaying The Last of Us Season 2 could mean better quality for the franchise, considering that the showrunners are planning on delivering more than 2 seasons for the story.
For now, you can stream all episodes of The Last of Us Season 1 on HBO Max.
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