We're not even done with season one yet, but already The Last of Us has been renewed for its second season.
It's the news fans of the game and the show have been waiting for - which is really saying something, considering we're only two episodes into the TV adaptation of the beloved video game.
HBO announced the news that the series would continue beyond its first season today (27 January), with executive producer Neil Druckmann, who was also the writer and creative director of the game, saying: “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. 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!”
The Last Of Us stars Game of Thrones actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as protagonists Joel and Ellie, who face the challenge of trying to make it across the US to a quarantine zone after the modern civilization gets destroyed by a virus.
"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," a synopsis explains.
Also starring in the series is Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, and Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen.
The Last Of Us video game was released in 2013 and is beloved by fans, adding extra pressure to the creators of the TV show as they sought to do its inspiration justice.
Craig Mazin, who also serves as an executive producer on the series as well as showrunner, thanked everyone who has shown their support for the series so far as the news of season two was announced today.
"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," he said. "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.”
So far only two episodes of The Last Of Us have aired on TV, with the third set to arrive on Sunday (29 January) on HBO and Sky Atlantic.
Emily Brown