Much like the Naughty Dog games the show’s based on, HBO’s The Last of Us was a massive hit that secured a fanbase that’s eager for season two to begin. Of course, like almost everything else, the Writers and Actors strikes have ground production for the zombie drama’s second season to a standstill. HBO wanted to try and get ahead of those strikes by holding auditions using the script from The Last of Us Part II (which it’ll partially be adapting), but those plans fell apart not long after.
But according to the games’ co-director (and the show’s co-showrunner) Neil Druckmann, that sophomore season is ready to jump into production once both those strikes come to an end. During a recent walkthrough of The Last of Us-themed Halloween Horror Nights house, he said the show’s staff “outlined all of season 2 and we’re ready to go as soon as the strike ends.” His words echo that of fellow showrunner Craig Mazin, who told Entertainment Weekly in late August the show made decent headway before the strikes happen. At the time, Mazin said all of the season two was mapped out, and he “wrote and submitted the script for the first episode and sent it in [to HBO] around 10:30 or 10:40 p.m. right before [the WGA] strike began.”
“We are all raring to go,” said Mazin to EW. “ This is what we are born to do. This is how we not only choose to live our lives, but I believe [how we] are compelled to live our lives. Otherwise, why the hell would we do this insane job? I can assure you it’s not for money.”
While it’ll be some time before The Last of Us returns, Druckmann teased the Horror Nights attraction has some “really cool stuff in there” that could end up teasing things within season two. Eagle-eyed fans in the area will no doubt find those easter eggs and work out their theories from there, but what about a third game that’s been previously rumored (and honestly, more than expected) to be in the works? Druckmann could only say that he “can’t say anything. My comms director over there will slaughter me.”
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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