Despite the ongoing WGA strike and SAG-AFTRA strike, The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin is still quietly confident that a second season will hit its targeted 2025 release date.
"We had a little more flexibility I think than normal just because we had to wait a little bit longer anyway to line up production with the weather. A lot of what we do is outside, and so we had a schedule that weirdly hasn’t been immediately impacted," Mazin told Deadline.
Having said that, Mazin – who was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on The Last of Us – tempered expectations if the strike rolls on for a prolonged period.
"Wе can’t keep our original start dates forever obviously," Mazin said. "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."
Mazin also confirmed that the script for the season 2 premiere was a buzzer-beater, being submitted "just before the deadline [for the writers’ strike] hit." The writer also reaffirmed plans for the adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2 to go into a third season, but teased "interesting twists and turns" for newcomers and game veterans alike.
The first season of The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, debuted on HBO earlier this year to widespread acclaim. The adaptation of Naughty Dog’s PlayStation title also received 24 nominations at this year’s Emmys.
For more on what’s coming your way, check out our guides to new TV shows and movie release dates.
