Earlier this year, HBO's The Last of Us successfully brought developer Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed and fan-favorite PlayStation exclusive to life on the TV screen. Its Season 1 premiere was HBO's second-largest debut since 2010, and its second episode broke records, too. Roughly three weeks after the premiere of the series, HBO revealed The Last of Us would be getting a second season. And now, thanks to a new Deadline report, we know it will start shooting next year and premiere sometime in 2025. 

Deadline learned this at a New York news event, where HBO boss Casey Bloys reportedly told press that Season 2 will head into production early next year, aiming for a 2025 premiere. Unfortunately, that's all Bloys said about the season. But, as noted by Deadline, series co-creator and executive producer Craig Mazin revealed earlier this summer pre-strike that the team was already able to get some work done, adding that the first episode was already written. 

"We got pretty far actually, we were doing great," Mazin told Deadline. "[The Last of Us game co-creator Neil Druckmann] and I had been sitting and talking with [The Last of Us Part II co-writer Halley Gross] and Bo Shim, the new writer that was in our little tiny room with us – obviously not a mini room because we're greenlit proper, we're a real show, and because I hate that mini room stuff."

Considering the first season of The Last of Us covered the events of the first Last of Us game, including its Left Behind DLC, it's clear Season 2 of the show will dive into The Last of Us Part II. We're all still awaiting some casting announcements, like who will play Abby and Lev, but that likely won't happen until the actor and writer strikes are over. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer's The Last of Us Part 1 review and then read our review of The Last of Us Part II. 

[Source: Deadline]

How far into The Last of Us Part II do you think Season 2 will go? Let us know in the comments below!