New pictures from the British Columbia set of HBO's The Last of Us season 2 have been leaked, showing star Bella Ramsey looking very similar to Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2 video game.
The photos in question, posted on Twitter, show Ramsey and season 2 newcomer Isabela Merced as Ellie’s love interest Dina walking through what looks to be a forest. From what we can see in the images there are a few similarities between the real-life and in-game characters, such as Dina’s red shirt and Ellie’s green jacket.
There are some differences too, mostly with the hair as we can see Ramsey sporting a pulled back half-up-half-down do differing from their loose ponytail in season 1, which is a welcomed change, but still different to the shorter, curtain bang moment in the games. Dina’s hairstyle has also changed as her hair is down in the images, unlike the game version of Dina who constantly has it up. See the full images below.
But fans are not happy with the leaked look and have been voicing their opinions online. “If they don’t cut Bella’s hair…. crimes will be committed. Also, why does Dina have a blowout,” replied one fan, while another added, "Ellie looks the exact same as she did in S1 and that’s a problem."
In terms of the storyline, season 2 is expected to follow Part 2 of the game which involves a 5-year time jump from Part 1, meaning that Ramsey will have to appear much older than they did in season 1 which was released in 2023. This seems to be the thing fans can’t wrap their head around - along with the hair of course.
However, at a press conference attended by Total Film, co-creator Craig Mazin addressed Ellie’s look saying, "We know what we're going to do in terms of costume and makeup and hair, but more importantly, we also know the soul and spirit of the actor," and confirmed they although they are adapting Part 2, some details will be "radically" different from the game.
The cast of season 2 also welcomes back Pedro Pascal as Joel and adds Kaitlyn Denver as Abby, Young Mazino as Jesse, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, and Spencer Lord as Owen.
The Last of Us season 2 has a 2025 release window. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2024 and beyond.
