This Could Be It for The Last of Us, Says Series Creator Neil Druckmann

There's a whole lot of The Last of Us coming your way next month. To begin with, PC players will finally be able to get their hands on the 2020 sequel thanks to The Last of Us Part II Remastered, which will be released on the platform on April 4 via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The port is being handled by Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy.

Then there's the second season of the acclaimed HBO TV series featuring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. This new season will include a portion of the story seen in Part II and start airing on April 13, giving you just enough time to experience the game's version of the story, which is said to be quite different.

Speaking to Variety, series creator Neil Druckmann explained:

I love the changes that we’ve made. It's a different version of that story, but its DNA is in there. Maybe more than excited, I’m really curious what their reaction will be.

Some of the changes include changing Abby's character to accommodate the difference between her character in the game, who's very powerful physically, and actress Kaitlyn Dever, who's far slimmer. On this subject, Druckmann said:

Kaitlyn Dever wanted to work with us; we wanted to work with her. It's not worth passing it up to continue a search that might never bear fruit to find someone that matches the physicality.

Truth be told, many fans had hoped to see Dever cast as Ellie before the creatives settled on Bella Ramsey. On the other hand, there was the matter of age, since Ramsey was much closer to the character than Dever. This might be why they settled on her instead but still wanted to work with an excellent actress like Dever, though that's speculation on our part.

There will be some additions to the plot of The Last of Us Part II. For example, the character Eugene is only named in the game, but he'll be seen (played by actor Joe Pantoliano) in this new season of the TV show. Druckmann commented:

I get excited when I see these opportunities. I'm like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Eugene that well!’ The story we told in the game was somewhat superficial. The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship.

According to showrunner Craig Mazin, there may be space for one or two more seasons. But what about The Last of Us Part III? Well, Druckmann didn't give much hope to fans:

I was waiting for this question. I guess the only thing I would say is don't bet on there being more of ‘Last of Us.’ This could be it.

Looking at the history of Naughty Dog, it's entirely possible he's not lying. The Californian studio is known for abandoning its successful IPs over time, starting with Crash, then Jak and Daxter, and then Uncharted. At the latest The Game Awards, the studio unveiled its new sci-fi franchise, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. If that game sells well enough, they might work on a sequel for it instead of going back to The Last of Us. We've prepared a little poll to gauge your opinion on what they should do. Let us know your take in the comments!