On Saturday, it was announced that HBO Go's The Last Of Us has been renewed for a second season while only three episodes of the first season have been aired. Universally lauded for being one of the best video game adaptions (while such adaptations don't usually fare well), the first season of The Last Of Us contains nine episodes with the finale being streamed on March 13.
The post-apocalyptic drama is co-created by 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 game developer Naughty Dog co-president). The story takes place 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed by a parasitic fungal infection, which tuns most of the mankind into savages. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both traverse the US and depend on each other for survival.
The series also gives us another take on zombies, as in their universe, they are referred to as "The Infected", who look terrifying and are driven by the parasitic fungus. The Cordyceps fungus, which only infects insects such as ants in real life, inspired the series.
The Last Of Us is also a hit on social media, trending at #1 worldwide on Twitter during its debut. To date, season one teasers and trailers have amassed more than 100 million views globally. “I’m humbled, honoured 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 and crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” said Druckmann. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog and 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 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.”
New episodes are released on Mondays on HBO and HBO Go. Fans can also tune in to The Last Of Us podcast, the official companion podcast where host Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the video game, sits down with the creators for a scene-by-scene recap of each episode. Subscribe at hbogo.co.th or the app via the App Store or Play Store.
