The writing process for The Last of Us Season 2 on HBO has been put on hold, but showrunner Craig Mazin remains hopeful that the new season won’t be delayed due to ongoing Hollywood strikes. Mazin told Deadline that the production timeline hasn’t been affected enough to cause a delay yet, but it’s getting close. He mentioned that they had more flexibility than usual because they had to wait longer to align production with the weather, as a lot of the filming takes place outdoors.
Quick Facts
- The WGA writers’ union went on strike in May, and the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union began its strike on July 13, causing potential delays in film and TV projects.
- Season 2 Episode 1 was completed before the strike began, but further writing is on hold.
- HBO initially planned for Season 2 to release in 2025, but this may change due to the strikes.
The WGA writers’ union went on strike in May, and there is currently no end in sight. The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, began its strike on July 13. Writers and actors are striking for better pay and residuals, as well as protections against the rise of artificial intelligence, among other things. It is expected that a number of film and TV projects will be delayed due to the strikes.
Mazin said that if the strikes continue much longer, they will inevitably have to push back the production timeline, which would hurt the show, the audience, and HBO. He added that everyone involved in the production, including the network staff on the ground, wants to get back to work and resolve the issue.
Season 2 Episode 1 was written before the strike began in May, but with the WGA on strike, Mazin is not writing anything else on paper. Instead, he is “brain-writing” by walking around and thinking through scenes so that he can quickly continue writing once the strike is over.
Before the strike, HBO said Season 2 was expected to release in 2025. However, this plan may have changed since the writers’ strike began. Mazin also confirmed that a third season of The Last of Us is in the works, unless Season 2 receives poor viewership and the show gets canceled, which seems unlikely.
He said that some aspects of the show will be exactly as they were in the game, while others may be different or adapted in their own way. Mazin also hinted that the show may include timeline jumps, but viewers should not expect another Bill and Frank episode like the one in Season 1. In another interview, Mazin mentioned that he expects there to be “furor” over the events of Season 2.
