Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, co-creators of HBO’s The Last Of Us: Season 2, have confirmed that the upcoming season is set to be shorter than its inaugural season by two whole episodes.
Per an interview with Deadline, The Last Of Us: Season 2 will come in at seven episodes – though with the caveat that there may be more to the story than the planned seasons can convey.
“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons,” said Mazin. “When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the natural breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”
With that being the case, Mazin suggested that the story may need additional seasons to cover the entire plot. Currently, the series has two seasons locked in with HBO, with the potential for renewal pending whether or not the second season secures the same level of attention as the debut.
“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too,” he said.
Read: HBO’s The Last of Us casts Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
What do we know about The Last Of Us: Season 2 so far?
Aside from the length, so far details about the new season have been limited to casting and directing announcements. Pedro Pascal (Joel) will return in the upcoming season, alongside Bella Ramsey (Ellie), Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Isabela Merced (as Dina), Young Mazino (as Jesse), and Catherine O’Hara in an unrevealed role.
With The Last Of Us: Season 2 expected to hit screens in 2025, there’s still plenty of time for speculation over where and when they’ll find the “natural breakpoint” – though it’s certainly a relief to know that the creative team have no intention of shoving the entire storyline of The Last Of Us: Part II into one short season.
