Summary
- The trailer for The Last of Us Season 2 has broken HBO viewership records, indicating growing anticipation for the upcoming episodes.
- The new season will feature a five-year time jump with returning and new cast members.
- Season 2 may introduce new characters and explore deeper narratives, potentially shocking audiences.
HBO’s The Last of Us continues to dominate long before its second season has even premiered. Season 2 will take a five-year time jump, following Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they navigate an even more dangerous and unpredictable world. Returning cast members include Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley, while new additions like Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright are set to make their mark in the next chapter. The highly anticipated follow-up to the hit adaptation is already breaking records and sparking intense discussions among The Last of Us fans.
While The Last of Us Season 2 will have a shorter run than its predecessor, consisting of just seven episodes, fans are still eager to see how the show will play out. This condensed episode count could pave the way for the series to extend across two additional seasons, making it easier to fully explore the expansive story of The Last of Us Part 2. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have also hinted that future seasons of The Last of Us will incorporate content that was originally cut from the game, potentially enriching the narrative with deeper character development and expanded world-building.
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The most recent trailer, which debuted during a SXSW panel, has amassed over 158 million views across platforms in just three days, according to numbers provided by Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio claims this is a record for HBO and Max original programming, with the trailer outperforming previous promos for the show by at least 160%. Beyond just anticipation for new episodes, interest in The Last of Us seems to be skyrocketing. Season 1 episodes are currently averaging “around 32 million cross-platform viewers” domestically. This marks a significant increase from the finale’s already impressive numbers, as the March 2023 episode garnered 8.2 million same-day viewers across platforms, according to Deadline. The surge in viewership suggests that both new and returning fans are rewatching the series in preparation for the next installment, further cementing its place as one of HBO’s most successful series in recent years.
Anticipation For The Last of Us Season 2 Continues To Rise
One of the biggest surprises from The Last of Us Season 1 was its willingness to expand on certain characters, most notably in Episode 3, Long, Long Time. The beautifully tragic episode gave Bill and Frank a fleshed-out narrative that deviated from the original game, providing depth to characters who previously had little backstory. Now, it seems Season 2 will follow a similar path, this time expanding on a character from The Last of Us Part 2 that players never met and know very little about. However, this addition could walk a fine line, potentially exposing Joel’s darkest secret in a way that may shock audiences.
The new trailer offered a glimpse of Ellie encountering an infected whose breath releases the airborne spores, hinting at a shift in how the virus spreads in the upcoming episodes. It was also recently revealed that Joe Pantoliano, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Robert John Burke, and Noah Lamanna will join the cast of Season 2. The new season officially premieres on April 13 on HBO and Max.
The Last Of Us
- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO Max
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
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Bella Ramsey
Ellie Williams
