The Last of Us showrunner on how long the show could last: "Four [seasons] seems like a good number"

The Last of Us co-showrunner Craig Mazin has teased a season count for the HBO show – and it’s a little longer than we were expecting.

"We’ve laid out our vision to HBO for how this series should lay out across not one season, but multiple seasons," Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter.

When asked if The Last of Us would last four seasons – a number he landed on earlier in the interview – Mazin replied: "You never know. It can end up being three or five. But four seems like a good number. Some seasons, because of the story we’re telling, will need fewer episodes and some will need more."

Mazin also once again re-affirmed that adapting The Last of Us Part 2 would be a bigger job than the first Last of Us game.

"What I can certainly confirm is that that story does not fit into one season," Mazin said.

The co-showrunner had previously addressed the impact of the actors’ strike and writers’ strike on The Last of Us season 2 production – namely that he felt a 2025 return date for the show was still looking feasible.

"Wе can’t keep our original start dates forever obviously," Mazin told Deadline in July. "If these strikes go much longer we inevitably will have to push and that hurts us, and it hurts the audience, and it hurts HBO."

The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, premiered on HBO in early 2023 to plaudits from both critics and audiences alike. It’s also a major fixture of the Emmys 2023 nominations list, garnering 24 nods.

For more on what’s coming our way, check out our guide to new TV shows and upcoming PS5 games.