The HBO adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game The Last of Us successfully completed its first season, and it was a roaring success. It broke a number of records on Sunday, when the season finale aired, surpassing the likes of House of The Dragon in terms of overall viewership. With the show been renewed for a second season, fans are already looking forward to more Cordyceps-infested action!
Why did The Last of Us Season 1 have fewer infected?
Showrunner Craig Mazin in a recent chat with the press right after the finale explained why they chose to keep the action at the minimum, “Within the episodes that we were concentrating on, I think ultimately we generally stressed the power of relationships and trying to find significance within moments of action.”
“And so, there may be less action than some people wanted because we couldn’t necessarily find significance for quite a bit of it, or a concern that it would be repetitive. After all, you’re not playing it, you’re watching it. Although a lot of people do like to watch gameplay, it needs to be, I think, a little bit more focused and purposeful when we’re putting it on TV.”
Will there be more infected running around in The Last of Us Season 2?
Mazin continued at the conference, “So we did at times have choices to make about how we wanted to present the infected. Even though we were green lit for a season of television, Neil and I felt like we can’t just make a season of television without considering what would come after. There is more The Last of Us to come. I think the balance is not always just about within an episode or even episode to episode, but season to season. It’s quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later and perhaps different kinds.”
When does The Last of Us Season 2 begin filming?
In a recent interview with Collider, Pascal said, “In the year 2023? Oh, what season are we in now? We’re getting into spring? Yes, there is a chance. Yes.” The first season of The Last of Us took around 18 months to film. So, looking at the time gap, there’s a high probability that the second season won’t be here until 2025.
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