HBO's The Last of Us season 3 receives exciting update from showrunner 

The acclaimed HBO series, The Last of Us, has emerged with an exciting update for its third season, straight from the showrunner, Craig Mazin. After a triumphant debut season, this riveting adaptation of the renowned PlayStation franchise is primed for at least another run. The upcoming season is set to plunge into the narrative of The Last of Us Part II from PlayStation 4.

While the green light for Season 2 is certain, the series' fate beyond that point hangs in the balance. Nevertheless, the series' visionary, Craig Mazin, remains undeterred. Expressing that there's quite a bit of story to tell, in a recent interview with Deadline, he said that his intent is to unravel it beyond merely one additional season.

Echoing Mazin's sentiments, Neil Druckmann, the co-showrunner, and producer, confirmed in an interview with Kinda Funny, that they've mapped out substantial parts of Season 3, despite the lack of an official confirmation for a third installment.

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Showrunner teases The Last of Us Season 3's potential beyond Season 2

Beyond the game: Showrunner explores Season 3's potential for the Pedro Pascal series (Image via HBO)

Mazin dropped tantalizing hints regarding the potential of a third season for The Last of Us in his recent discussion with Deadline. He declared that the Emmy-nominated drama is going to be around for more than just one other season, unless the audience chooses to switch off:

"It's going to be more than one season. There's more story, so this show will not end with Season 2 unless people don't watch it and we'll get canceled."

Further, Mazin shed light on the series' fidelity to its original gaming counterpart. He affirmed that, although certain aspects of the series will mirror the game accurately, other facets will undergo creative alterations or be portrayed with an original twist to maintain an air of suspense for the viewers, regardless of their familiarity with the game:

"Barring that, we will be doing some things exactly the way they were in the game. We're going to do other things that are in the game and we're gonna do some things that are in the game but we're gonna do them differently in our own method. No matter if you have played the game or not. You will be surprised as the season unfolds. We have some interesting twists and turns."

In a discussion with Kinda Funny in April this year, the co-president of Naughty Dog, Neil Druckmann, provided insights into the creation of the series. Druckmann disclosed that he and director Mazin have already laid out significant portions of the storyline for season 3.

This came as an unexpected piece of news, especially since season 2 hasn't yet commenced pre-production:

"We know where a lot of Season 2 and 3 will go, so we could start laying things in earlier. Because we’re making the show, we know Left Behind, we know Last of Us Part II, so there are things, like we could have Marlene talk about Riley early on, because we have a better understanding of who Riley is, because Left Behind has already come out."

For the uninitiated, Left Behind is a downloadable expansion to the original TLOU game. It was released in 2014. Meanwhile, The Last of Us Part II came out in 2020.

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The future of the HBO's series: Season 3

The saga continues: A glimpse into the future of HBO's apocalyptic series with Season 3 (Image via HBO)

While HBO has yet to formally announce the arrival of The Last of Us Season 3, its inception seems more than likely. According to Mazin, dwindling viewership stands as the sole hurdle that could derail the prospects of a third season.

However, considering the resounding success of the inaugural season, which shattered viewership records over its course of nine episodes, such a scenario seems highly unlikely.

With its rich legacy of groundbreaking ventures, HBO promises that the fandom surrounding this franchise will undoubtedly continue to flourish into its second season.

Moreover, the intricate narrative of the game's sequel mandates the existence of a third season for a holistic and faithful rendition of the storyline from the console to the screen. Despite these promising indications, The Last of Us Season 2's production remains on standby due to the persisting writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood.

Nevertheless, fans remain eager for the ongoing narrative of this captivating post-apocalyptic series. Meanwhile, the entire first season of The Last of Us is readily available for binge-watching on HBO Max.