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Fans of The Last of Us season 2 have been waiting impatiently for the continuation of this highly popular series. The delay of the most recent official release update from HBO, until 2025, has left fans feeling both excited and disappointed.
The recent announcement of a season 2 premiere hold-off, disclosed by CEO David Zaslav at the Warner Bros. Discovery Q4 2023 earnings call, has got fans unsure of when they will be able to catch Joel and Ellie yet again on their screens.
With production currently underway on The Last of Us Season 2 and The White Lotus season 2, HBO's difficult schedule moves intend to offer a balanced content distribution plan for the year to come. The first season of The Last of Us launched on HBO on January 15, 2023, and concluded on March 12, 2023.
What is the expected release date for The Last of Us Season 2?
The Last of Us Season 2 is scheduled to air in 2025, with production set to kick off in spring 2024, on February 12, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. The exact release date has not yet been declared. The first season of The Last of Us was shot from July 2021 to June 2022, with episode one being released in January 2023.
At the Warner Bros. Discovery Q4 2023 earnings call, David Zaslav shared that in 2025, the new season of The White Lotus will be followed by The Last of Us.
"Then in 2025, we'll kick off the year with the new season of The White Lotus, followed by The Last of Us and Euphoria, just to name a few."
In a report by Esquire, HBO CEO Casey Bloys shared that the network has no plans to look for an approximate release date until 2025. The TV series was picked up for its second season on January 27, 2023, less than two weeks after the first season officially aired.
The franchise is based on the best-selling PlayStation game of the same name, released in 2013. As fans brace themselves for an additional delay until 2025, the assurance of careful post-production efforts hints that the upcoming season will likely meet or exceed targets.
What is the reason for the delay in the release of The Last of Us Season 2?
The expected release of The Last of Us Season 2 has been pushed back due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which delayed filming in Hollywood. Casey Bloys revealed that shooting for the next season will start in early 2024, with an early 2025 air date.
The protests interfered with the timeline, leading to the release of The Last of Us Season 2 being put on hold. Plus, Pedro Pascal's preoccupied filming schedule possibly played a role in the postponement, as per Insider Gaming.
Pascal told Deadline regarding The Last of Us Season 2:
"[The showrunners] always going to find ways to build on the incredible source material that they have, and surprise us with how they can use that material in a different format like a television show. [I] wouldn’t want to spoil it for anybody, and the truth is, I don’t actually have all of the information as of yet."
Regardless of all of this, the series continues to be in production, with filming tentatively scheduled to keep going until September 2024. The follow-up season is planned to hinge on the course of the sequel video game, The Last of Us: Part II, and carry on Joel and Ellie's post-apocalyptic expedition.
Stay tuned for further details on this popular season as HBO deals with the technicalities of bringing this beloved video game adaptation again to TV.
