It might be set in a ruined world, humanity overcome by infectious fungus that turns people into violent creatures, but audiences have clearly connected with game adaptation The Last Of Us. The series, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, has now been renewed for a second season after just the first two episodes have aired.
Taking place 20 years after the fungal infection led to a ravaged civilisation, the story — drawn from the bestselling game created by Neil Druckmann and adapted by Druckmann alongside Chernobyl's Craig Mazin – sees Pascal as Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the US and depend on each other for survival.
"I’m humbled, honoured, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations," says Druckmann. "Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!"
"I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey," enthuses Mazin. "The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in."
In the US, new episodes The Last Of Us launch on HBO Max on Sunday evenings. Sky carries the episodes at 2am on Mondays for the UK, with repeats there and on the NOW streaming service. UK readers looking to sample the show can sample the first episode via Sky's YouTube channel. Find out more right here.