The Last of Us season 2 will be different from the game says co-creator

13 March 2023, 12:41

The Last of Us creators explain why Joel chooses to save Ellie

By Katie Louise Smith

"It’s going to be different. It will be its own thing. It won’t be exactly like the game."

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Well, it's over. The Last of Us season 1 has come to an intense end, but it's not the end of the journey for Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) just yet.

The Last of Us season 2 has already been confirmed with HBO renewing the series just a few episodes into the first season. And now, co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have started teasing what fans can expect from season 2.

The Last of Us season 1 followed the original game's storyline very closely. There were a few major changes made (like Tess' death, the way the infection spreads, Bill and Frank's relationship, Henry and Sam...) but for the most part, it was an extremely faithful adaptation. Even down to recreating some of the most pivotal scenes shot-for-shot as they appear in the game.

However, for those hoping that season 2 will get the same treatment when it finally arrives, things might be a little different. Craig Mazin has now teased that season 2 will be "different" and "be its own thing."

The Last of Us season 2 will be different from the game. Picture: HBO

Speaking at a virtual press conference reported by Variety, Craig revealed that plans for season 2 are starting to take shape, and that it will be both "different radically" and "barely different at all" from The Last of Us: Part II game.

Part II takes place five years after the events of Part I and, presumably, season 1 of the HBO show. The scope of Part II is also much bigger than the first game, and fans have been wondering how it'll be adapted within the new season.

"All I can say to people is: I have so much anxiety myself, about doing a good job on this. Just know, I am also very anxious," Craig explained. "If you’re anxious about something, I’m probably anxious about it, which means we’re talking about it and thinking about it."

He then revealed: "We will present things, but it will be different, just as this season was different. Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be barely different at all, but it’s going to be different. It will be its own thing."

"It won’t be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make," he added.

The Last of Us creators explain why Joel chooses to save Ellie

On top of that, Craig also brushed off any speculation that Bella Ramsey would be recast as Ellie in season 2. "We are making it with Bella," he confirmed.

Speaking about how the show will 'age Ellie up', Craig reiterated that Bella is already the correct age that Ellie is supposed to be in Part II – 19 years old. In fact, by the time they film, Bella will actually be a little older than Ellie anyway.

"People were like, 'She doesn’t look like the character.' It doesn’t matter. Just watch what happens," Craig teased.

The Last of Us season 2 will not re-cast Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Picture: HBO

Elsewhere, fans will finally get to see more of the Infected when season 2 rolls around. Following criticism from game fans that the HBO series didn't have enough action with the Infected, Craig revealed that season 2 will lean more into that.

"Ultimately, we generally stressed the power of relationships and trying to find significance within moments of action," he said. "It’s quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later. And perhaps different kinds."

The Last of Us season 2 doesn't have a release date just yet but Pedro Pascal has hinted that it will begin filming later this year.