Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
HBO Renews THE LAST OF US For A Second Season

HBO Renews THE LAST OF US For A Second Season

Episode 1 has now surpassed 22 million viewers domestically, up nearly 5x from its premiere night audience.

HBO drama THE LAST OF US has been renewed for a second season. The series from co-creators Craig Mazin (Emmy® Award-winning creator of HBO's "Chernobyl") and Neil Druckmann (creator and writer of the award-winning "The Last of Us" franchise and Naughty Dog Co-President) marks HBO's second largest debut, behind only "House of the Dragon." Episode 1 has now surpassed 22 million viewers domestically, up nearly 5x from its premiere night audience.

Episode 2 of THE LAST OF US tallied 5.7 million viewers across HBO Max and linear telecasts in the U.S. Sunday night, based on Nielsen and first party data, adding more than 1 million new viewers vs. the series premiere. This 22% jump marks the largest week two audience growth for any HBO Original Drama Series in the history of the network.

THE LAST OF US was also a hit on social media, with the series trending #1 both in the U.S. and worldwide on Twitter during its series debut. To date, season one teasers and trailers have amassed more than 100 million views globally. Additionally, the first episode of the series' companion podcast hit #1 on the Apple Podcast US charts across all genres within 48 HOURS of its release.

"Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of 'The Last of Us,'" said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. "After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can't wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with season two."

"I'm humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie's journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations," said executive producer Neil Druckmann. "Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!"

"I'm so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I'm even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey," said executive producer Craig Mazin. "The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn't be more ready to dive back in."

THE LAST OF US takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Season one stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.

With a 97% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, THE LAST OF US has been declared "HBO's next big hit" by Rolling Stone, with Variety noting, "one sees the near future in which the show winds up among television's best."

IndieWire declared the new series "better than every video game adaptation that comes to mind," with IGN hailing it as "a brilliant retelling of one of video games' most beloved stories" and adding that it "delivers an enriching show for fans of the PlayStation hit, while also managing to stay welcomingly thrilling to newcomers." CNN called the storytelling "absolutely fearless and unflinching, creating horrifying scenarios and moments that can be alternately touching and utterly tragic."

New episodes of the series debut Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and are available to stream on HBO Max, leading up to the finale on March 12. Starting today, the first episode of THE LAST OF US will be made available for free on HBOMax.com.

Fans can also tune in to THE LAST OF US Podcast, the series' official companion podcast where host Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the video game, sits down with series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for a scene-by-scene deep dive of each episode.

THE LAST OF US, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation® platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.



Related Stories View More TV Stories
Everything You Need to Know About the WICKED Movie Photo
It's a guide to the Wicked movie. The hit Broadway musical Wicked is officially coming to the big screen! BroadwayWorld collected all the information we could about the upcoming film - including who's starring, what roles haven't yet been cast, and what will change from stage to screen.

International Music Icon Angelique Kidjo New Doc QUEEN KIDJO Reigns During 15th Anniversar Photo
Queen Kidjo will hold court during season 15 of the award-winning documentary series AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange.

Video: PASTICHENYC Presents Edith Whartons The House of Mirth Song Cycle Photo
PASTICHENYC has announced their follow-up to Jane Austen's Persuasion Song Cycle, the World Premiere of a streaming video rendition of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth Song Cycle, written and directed by Emily King. Watch episode 1 now!

Netflix Renews YOU for a Fifth & Final Season Photo
Will Joe Goldberg finally get his judgment day? Fans of the beloved thriller will soon know more about Joe’s fate when YOU returns for a fifth and final season. Sera Gamble will continue to be an Executive Producer on the series. Executive Producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo will step in as Co-Showrunners.


From This Author - Michael Major


Photos: First Look at Sutton Foster Hosting GREAT PERFORMANCES 50th Anniversary ConcertPhotos: First Look at Sutton Foster Hosting GREAT PERFORMANCES 50th Anniversary Concert
March 24, 2023

Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster (Anything Goes, Music Man) hosted last night’s star-studded “Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway” concert at Lincoln Center. The concert also features Sara Bareilles, Corbin Bleu, Norm Lewis, Patina Miller, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and more. Check out photos of Foster hosting now!

Video: Keke Palmer Releases New Short Film 'Big Boss' on Amazon MusicVideo: Keke Palmer Releases New Short Film 'Big Boss' on Amazon Music
March 24, 2023

In Big Boss, a young woman from Chicago struggles to make it in the unpredictable, callous, male-dominated music industry, only to realize the greater challenge was learning to trust her own instincts. Written and directed by Keke Palmer, this video is her true story of perseverance, self-love, impenetrable faith, and survival of spirit.

Lights to Release 'dEd' in AprilLights to Release 'dEd' in April
March 24, 2023

Flipping the energetic, danceable record on its head (even the tracklist is reversed), dEd, ironically, breathes new life into the album’s 13 tracks with dreamy, electronic reinterpretations. The announcement is heralded by the release of “Voices Carry (dEd version),” which is available now. dEd is available for presave now via Fueled By Ramen.

IDK Links With Rich the Kid for Unfiltered New Single '850'IDK Links With Rich the Kid for Unfiltered New Single '850'
March 24, 2023

Maryland auteur IDK (Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge) keeps the new music coming with his propulsive new single “850” featuring Rich The Kid. Supremely bold and confident, the track demonstrates IDK’s winning brand of showmanship. It follows the blistering 'Radioactive,' which kicked off his 2023 campaign.

Foals Share The New Dan Carey Version Of '2am'Foals Share The New Dan Carey Version Of '2am'
March 24, 2023

Foals unveiled a thrilling new twist on their sound as they release the new Dan Carey version of ‘2am’. The track is the first to be taken from their eagerly anticipated new project ‘Life Is Dub.' ‘Life Is Dub’ sees Dan Carey rework the entire critically acclaimed ‘Life Is Yours’ album through a heavyweight dub prism.