What’s happened? Neil Druckmann, former co-showrunner of HBO’s The Last of Us, explained why he left the show in July.
- In an interview with Variety, Druckmann claimed he accomplished his “crazy goal” of adapting The Last of Us for television, hoping to elevate the franchise beyond the people who played the video games.
- Druckmann was happy to see millions of people had watched HBO’s The Last of Us and then went out to buy and play the game.
- After overseeing the development of HBO’s The Last of Us, he felt that “the path has been set” for the show’s story with season 2 and that it was time to step down and focus more on leading the development of Naughty Dog’s new games.
Why is it important? The Last of Us is one of HBO’s most popular shows. The network renewed the series for a third season, so a change in its leadership hinted at huge changes for the show.
- Druckmann is the writer and creative director of The Last of Us video game, which HBO’s show is based on.
- Season 2 of The Last of Us raked in a higher average viewership than season 1, and the season 2 finale reached a reported 3.7 million views.
- The Last of Us season 2 has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys.
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Why should I care? This news sets the record straight on why Druckmann chose to step down as co-showrunner of The Last of Us.
- Druckmann is satisfied with the success and impact of HBO’s The Last of Us.
- It implies Druckmann has confidence in Craig Mazin being the sole showrunner of The Last of Us and that season 3 will continue to adapt the game’s story correctly.
OK, what now? The Last of Us season 3 has yet to begin filming, so stay tuned for more updates.
- The Last of Us season 3 is expected to center around Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), following her storyline in The Last of Us Part 2 after season 2’s cliffhanger ending.
- It is unknown when the season will start filming or when it will premiere on HBO.
