'The Last Of Us' Creator, Neil Druckmann, Has Announced He Won't Be Returning For Season 3

TV & Film

Jul 5

Neil Druckmann on the set of The Last of Us, wearing a lidded cap and several layers with a coat on top, smiling at the camera — Image Source: *IMDb*

The television adaptation of The Last of Us has seen considerable success, and with the release of its second season, its popularity is only growing. As time goes on, schedules and availability change. Following the end of the second season, there have been a few creative departure announcements. In an Instagram post, creator Neil Druckmann announced his departure from the series ahead of the third season.

Druckmann explained his choice and the timing, “I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.” He is timing his departure to be the least disruptive to the series while looking towards the future of the video game development part of his career.

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joel and ellie in the woods side by side, the former with his gun pointed and brow furrowed, the latter with her gun pointed to the ground with a slightly shocked expression — Image Source: *IMDb*

Druckmann continued, “Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.” Druckmann was the creative director of both games, helping to bring them to life. With his departure, co-creator Craig Mazin will be flying solo at this time.

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic series in which the cordyceps fungus has evolved to infect humans to an extreme degree. The entire second season is available to stream on Max. If you want to explore the source material of the show, check out the games. The Last of Us Part I is a remake of the 2013 game, bringing an updated experience; it is available to play on Windows and the PlayStation 5. The Last of Us Part II is set four years after the first installment, focusing on both Ellie and Abby following Joel’s murder; it is available to play on the PlayStation 4 and 5, and Windows.

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