HBO's The Last of Us is confirmed to move forward into Season 2 as fans wonder whether the series will be ready for a 2025 return.
The PlayStation TV adaptation became a worldwide hit upon its debut in 2023, ranking as one of the five most-watched shows of that year alongside programs like Ted Lasso and You.
Plans for The Last of Us Season 2 were quickly put in place after Season 1's success, but due to various factors like the actors' and writers' strikes, questions arose about when the next season could debut.
The Last of Us Season 2 Filming Updates
Following the end of the Hollywood actors' strike in November 2023, The Last of Us Season 2 showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed with Variety that filming for the series began on February 12.
Newcomer Isabela Merced also spoke with Variety during the press tour for Madame Web, saying she had "already gotten a taste" when she came to set the day before shooting officially started.
That day had her working with star Bella Ramsey under Craig Mazin's direction, with Merced heaping praise on the director while reflecting on how they "had just the best time" together:
"That was just me and Bella the whole day, and then Craig Mazin was directing. He is phenomenal. I am a huge fan. Like, we geek out about a lot of things. I taught them how to play spades. We had just the best time. I’m excited to get back there — I’m going back there tomorrow."
Filming for Season 2 is currently taking place in British Columbia, Canada, including the popular filming city of Vancouver. Production later moved to Calgary, Alberta in early March before going to the cities of Mission and Exshaw.
Additionally, scooper Daniel Richtman shared a rumor on his Patreon stating that filming for Season 2 would wrap in August before the series returns to HBO in either March or April 2025.
This aligns with the reported Directors Guild of Canada production list that marked August 2024 as the end date for filming on The Last of Us Season 2 (under the working title "Mega Sword").
That same production list (via The Gamer) previously listed Season 2 to finish filming in September 2024, marking an earlier conclusion date for initial production.
Via X (formerly Twitter) user @screentime, Richtman also indicated that star Pedro Pascal has finished filming his work as Joel for Season 2.
Later this year, Pascal is will begin filming Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four after his casting as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, giving him plenty of time to switch projects.
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When Will The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere on Max?
During Warner Bros. Discovery's Q4 2023 earnings call in February, CEO David Zaslav confirmed a 2025 release for The Last of Us Season 2.
Next year will reportedly kick off with Season 3 of The White Lotus before The Last of Us, although there were no other indications of a release date for those entries.
For reference, filming for Season 1 ran from July 2021 until June 2022, officially premiering seven months later on January 15, 2023.
Should filming for Season 2 wrap in August as reported and follow a post-production schedule similar to Season 1, then fans could expect it to premiere on Max in March or April 2025.
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Will The Last of Us Season 2 Release on Netflix?
Max is the streaming home for The Last of Us following the episodes' initial arrival on HBO.
However, there is also a chance the series will eventually find its way to another streaming home - Netflix.
Deadline reported on a deal between HBO and Netflix to license multiple HBO shows in July 2023 and allow them to stream on both platforms.
Another Deadline article revealed that HBO's Insecure made its way to Netflix that month, which came shortly before Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers, and Ballers all hit Netflix as well.
However, it's important to note that the most recent of these shows, Insecure, ended its run on Max in 2021. Should The Last of Us eventually move to Netflix, it will most likely be a few years away, especially since it's unclear how long the series will run.
The Last of Us Season 1 is now streaming on Max. Season 2 is currently filming, although it does not have an official release date confirmed yet.
Read more about HBO's The Last of Us series below:
The Last of Us Part 3: Potential Release, Story Details, and Everything We Know
The Last of Us Showrunner Calls Out Criticisms of 'Gay Stuff' In Season 1
The Last of Us Season 2 Cast: Every Actor & Character Expected to Appear
