After a season of adventure, heartache, and lots of father-daughter bonding, we're ready to return to the world of HBO's The Last of Us. So is the rest of the internet apparently, considering "The Last of Us season 2" has almost six billion results on Google. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the show immediately started making headlines after its pilot episode, and had a viewership increase of 75 percent by the finale. The series also went on to score three Emmy nominations and a SAG Award for Pedro Pascal as Joel!
Season 2 is sure to be just as compelling as the original season, but only time will tell whether we'll see new plotlines and character arcs, or the timeline arranged in a different way. I just know that whatever Craig Mazin and the rest of the team do will make me cry. If you have as many questions about the second season as we do, keep reading for everything you need to know before the series returns to HBO.
Check Out The First 'The Last Of Us' Season 2 Teaser
In addition to Dune: Prophecy and The White Lotus season 3, Max's new 2024-2025 preview gave us a brand new look at The Last of Us season 2. And, naturally, Pedro Pascal is already crying. We get glimpses of Bella Ramsey's Ellie, Isabela Merced's Dina, and Kaitlyn Dever's Abby. It's startling to see Catherine O'Hara in such a serious role, but I'm already eating it up.
When will The Last of Us season 2 premiere?
HBO confirmed on Wednesday, May 15 that it would premiere in 2025. The Last of Us season 2 began filming on February 12, 2024, Craig Mazin tells Variety.
Your First Look At 'The Last Of Us' Season 2
The first look at Bella Ramsey as Ellie shows the teen still rocks her beanie + puffer combo, but you can tell she has much more grit and determination than we saw last season (which, TBH, is hard to believe).
The first look at Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller already has fans crying because the framing and Joel's outfit look very similar to an emotional scene from the game. Plus, I think we're just ready to see our favorites onscreen again!
"Cries in long hair Joel Miller," one X user tweeted.
"All the set photos and officially released photos from The Last of Us Season 2 are making me so f-ckin happy, I can’t wait to get traumatized again," another said.
Will The Last of Us season 2 follow the plot of the game?
Showrunner Craig Mazin told EW that the new season "will be different just as this season was different [from the original game]."
Bella Ramsey also weighed in on the changes between The Last of Us season 2 and its first season, telling Vanity Fair that "it’s really a story about revenge and a continuation from the first season about the dangers of unconditional love." I know that The Last of Us: Part II is all about revenge, but we still don't know just how much of the game will be used in the show.
“I think that they’re always going to find ways to build on the incredible source material that they have, and surprise us with how they can use that material in a different format like a television show," Pedro Pascal tells Deadline. "But I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anybody, and the truth is, I don’t actually have all of the information as of [January 2024].”
Will the time jump between games play a role in the series? Will the end of season 2 line up with the beginning of the game? We'll have to wait and see!
Who's in The Last of Us season 2 cast?
The Last of Us will see Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal returning to our screens, but they'll also be joined by Kaitlyn Dever in the role of Abby. This is the one role fans have been waiting for — she plays a huge role in the second game and the fact that she's in the second season of the series shows that the action, drama, and suspense is only going to get crazier from here on out.
It was also announced that Isabela Merced will star as Dina and Young Mazino will star as Jesse. Argylle star Catherine O'Hara has reportedly been cast in a role created just for the TV show.
What is The Last of Us about?
The first season of The Last of Us follows Joel (played by Pedro Pascal), who lives in Boston 20 years after a fungal outbreak leads to the end of the world. When a plan to save his brother goes sideways, Joel finds himself smuggling teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country.
Where will The Last of Us season 2 film?
After the first season filmed in places like Calgary, Alberta, Deadline announced on March 31 that The Last of Us season 2 will shoot in Vancouver.
Where can I watch The Last of Us?
You can watch the first nine episodes of the show on Max. We're hoping we also get nine The Last of Us season 2 episodes — if not more!
Is Bella Ramsey in season 2?
Yes, Bella will return as Ellie for The Last of Us season 2. "The only way we would ever, ever consider re-casting Bella is if [they] said, 'I don't want to work with you guys anymore,'" Neil Druckmann (the game's creator) tells EW. "And even then, we're not sure we would grant [them] that. We might still force [them] to come back to season 2."
How old is Ellie in The Last of Us 2?
Ellie is 19 years old in The Last of Us: Part II, so it's safe to assume she'll be 19 in The Last of Us season 2!
Why is Ellie immune?
According to Firefly leader Marlene in the season one finale, they believe Ellie is immune because her mother was infected before she could cut the umbilical cord. So, Ellie has had cordyceps with her since birth — meaning her immune system overrides any potential infection.
Your First Look At The Last Of Us Season 2 Cast
We got our first look at The Last of Us season 2 cast when they dined at Vancouver restaurant Zarak. "Us 🤝🏼 The Last of Us," the establishment says in an Instagram post on January 24. "It was our pleasure hosting you last night." While Pedro Pascal wasn't at dinner, Bella Ramsey, creator Craig Mazin, producer Jacqueline Lesko, and newcomers Isabela Merced and Young Mazino were in attendance! Since Bella's Ellie, Isabela's Dina, and Young's Jesse are all super close in the story, some pre-production bonding sounds like the perfect way to start off season 2.
