Fans eagerly await the release of HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 so that they can finally see the next chapter in Joel and Ellie's story.
Set in a dystopian version of the United States after the emergence of a deadly pandemic, The Last of Us follows Pedro Pascal's Joel as he escorts a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across the country in hopes that she can save the world.
Season 1 premiered in January 2023, and, seeing as how Season 2 still has yet to be released, fans have been forced to wait a substantial amount of time for the show's return.
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When Will The Last of Us Season 2 Be Released?
The Last of Us Season 1 was a global phenomenon when it was released in January 2023, so much so that Season 2 was confirmed before Season 1 even came to an end.
At the time, fans did not exactly know when to expect Season 2, but, in 2023, series star Bella Ramsey revealed that filming was initially set to begin in late 2023 or early 2024, and that the show could return by the end of 2024:
"It will be a while. I think we’ll probably shoot at the end of this year, beginning of next. So it’ll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025."
However, due to unfortunate circumstances that were brought on by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes, production was ultimately pushed back and was not able to start in 2023.
This ultimately did not help Season 2 to be released any sooner, and likely did just the opposite.
During Warner Bros. Discovery's Q4 2023 earnings call, CEO David Zaslav revealed that The Last of Us Season 2 was eyeing a 2025 release, but that it would not be the first HBO title to come out that year:
"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..."
The Hollywood actors' strike officially ended in November 2023, which allowed The Last of Us Season 2 to finally begin filming in early 2024.
Shooting began on February 12, and previous rumors suggested that it would last until sometime in August.
The Directors Guild of Canada officially had the show listed to wrap filming on August 12, which was a bit of a surprise (but a welcome one for fans) considering the Guild's previous listing noted that it would end on September 9. By August 23, production was confirmed to be complete, via the Guild.
Throughout the production process, multiple set photos have been released indicating that shooting has moved along rather smoothly.
For example, one batch of photos featured stars Bella Ramsey and Isabella Merced, who play Ellie and Dina, respectively.
Fans were also given a special look at the upcoming series in a promotional video released by HBO in August. In the footage, the first official look at Kaitlyn Dever as Abby was revealed, showing her being attacked by a horde of Infected with only a chainlink fence protecting her.
Based on David Zaslav's comments, The Last of Us Season 2 will be released sometime in 2025, and will most likely be ready for the early months of that year.
Filming officially wrapped for Season 1 on June 11, 2022 (there was, however, some additional photography shot in October of that year). It was then released seven months later in January 2023.
If filming for Season 2 ends in August as it is listed, then, if it also follows a similar post-production timeline as Season 1, fans can expect to see it finally hit HBO sometime around March or April 2025.
The Last of Us Season 1 is available to stream on Max, and Season 2 is expected to be released in early 2025.
Read more about HBO's The Last of Us:
The Last of Us Season 2 Writer Addresses If Joel Will Die
The Last of Us Showrunner Calls Out Criticisms of 'Gay Stuff' In Season 1
The Last of Us Season 2 - 5 Controversial Scenes to Expect from the Game
