Latest news with #LastofUs'


Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'The Last of Us Season 3' confirmed for 2027: Major cast changes and new focus on Abby
After much anticipation, the producers have confirmed that 'The Last of Us' season 3 is in the works and will be released sometime in 2027. However, there are some heartbreaking changes for the fans. 'The Last of Us' season 3 release In an interview with Variety, Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO, revealed that the showrunner Craig Mazin is currently deciding the fate of the series, whether to end it in one extended season or divide it into two. 'The series is definitely planned for 2027,' he said, before adding, '[Creator] Craig [Mazin] is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn't been decided yet, and I'm following Craig's lead on that." However, certain changes would be that the third season would move forward without the fan favourite actor Pedro Pascal , as his character unfortunately had to go through death, and the co-creator Neil Druckmann won't be joining the team as well. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Investire per il futuro? Inizia da qui eToro Click Here Undo About co-creator Neil Druckmann 'I said to Craig, 'What do you want to do next?' And 'Last of Us' was what he wanted to do. That's what was most important to me, Craig's creative excitement about the show. It was fantastic to have Neil involved. A lot of people don't realise that Neil has a full-time job creating video games and running Naughty Dog,' Bloys said in the interview. 'It's a really big job that he's got. So I understand why he needs to focus on that. But I believe he's given us a good blueprint with the show. And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we'll be in excellent shape. I'm not worried at all,' he further concluded. As far as season 3 goes, it would focus more on Abby's character, who would become the central character in the second half of the game, while Ramsey's character would be reduced.


USA Today
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'The Last of Us' game creator steps away from show in shakeup before Season 3
"The Last of Us" is getting a behind-the-scenes shakeup. Neil Druckmann, the mind behind the "Last of Us" video games on which the acclaimed HBO TV series is based, is stepping away from his creative involvement in the show, he announced on Wednesday, July 2. In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Druckmann said he made the "difficult decision" in order to focus on his role as head of creative at the video game developer Naughty Dog amid work on the upcoming science-fiction game "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet." Druckmann wrote and directed the two video games that the "Last of Us" show is based on, and he created the series with Craig Mazin. He has written or directed numerous key episodes. Since the first season, Druckmann and Mazin have also regularly talked through their creative choices with the adaptation on an official "The Last of Us" companion podcast. A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY that Druckmann will not write or direct any episodes of "The Last of Us" Season 3, but will still serve as co-creator and executive producer. All about that 'Last of Us' finale: Who died? Who survived? "Co-creating the show has been a career highlight," Druckmann said in a statement. "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 of the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting 'The Last of Us Part I' and their continued adaptation of 'The Last of Us Part II.'" Mazin said in a statement that it has "been a creative dream" to work with Druckmann, adding, "I'll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect." The Last of Us' Season 3: Everything we know so far from the game The news comes more than a month after the conclusion of "The Last of Us" Season 2, which began adapting the controversial 2020 video game "The Last of Us Part II." In accordance with the game, the third season is expected to shift perspectives and center on Kaitlyn Dever's character, Abby, with Bella Ramsey likely to have a reduced role. In his statement, Druckmann noted that no "meaningful work" has started on Season 3.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Last of Us' Review: Episode 7 Makes a Generational Choice — Spoilers
[Editor's note: The following review contains spoilers for 'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 7 — the Season 2 finale. For additional coverage, including previous episode reviews, check out IndieWire's 'Last of Us' landing page.] 'Maybe she got what she deserved.' More from IndieWire Why Netflix Moved on from 'CoComelon' - and How It Hopes to Replace It in the Kids Programming Wars 'And Just Like That' Review: Season 3 Tones Down the Madness for a Timid Take on 'Sex and the City' 'Maybe she didn't.' To open 'The Last of Us' Season 2 finale, Dina (Isabela Merced) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) share the above exchange about Nora (Tati Gabrielle), the member of Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) posse who Ellie chased down, tortured, and left to die at the end of Episode 5. But by the end of Episode 7, viewers may very well be repeating the debate about Ellie, whose ultimate fate makes for an agonizing cliffhanger that won't be resolved until Season 3 premieres (at least). Did Abby shoot Ellie like she shot Jesse (Young Mazino), R.I.P.? Did she wound her? Did she miss? Of course, I'm desperate for Ellie to survive, but 'The Last of Us' already killed off one of its leads this season and, more importantly, it's clear co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who cowrote the Season 2 finale with Halley Gross) want viewers to consider not just what they want to happen, but what these characters have chosen for themselves. Sans sentiment, Ellie's moral report card is grim. She tortured and killed Nora. She shot and killed Owen (Spencer Lord), as well as Mel (Ariela Barer), the latter of whom was pregnant when she died. Sure, Mel's death was an accident, but that's hardly an excuse when Ellie's entire plan is built around murdering people. On the other hand, Ellie's ethical judgement showed signs of improvement in Episode 7; that her experience in Seattle (and lingering memories of Joel) may be steering her away from vengeance and toward mercy. Saying 'maybe she didn't' about Nora deserving to die (and be tortured), as well as telling Dina why Abby was so fixated on finding Joel to begin with, is a good sign for Ellie's level of bloodlust. If she's open to considering other opinions, instead of just finding Abby at all costs, that's progress. (Her revelation also drives a wedge between her and Dina, which speaks to how hard — and how important — it must've been for Ellie to divulge.) Granted, Ellie suffers a setback when she realizes where Abby is hiding. (The only words Nora said to Ellie were 'whale' and 'wheel,' so when she spots them both by Seattle's Aquarium, the dead-end suddenly becomes an open door, and she can't stop herself from walking through.) Long before her interrogation of Abby's crew goes so quickly sideways, it's clear Ellie should've gone with Jesse to help Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Tommy came to Seattle to help her. He cares about her, and she cares about him. He's part of her community, and he's still alive. Joel isn't. And if Ellie's decisions really were dictated by what Joel would want, there's no way he would rather Ellie kill his killer than save his brother. (Back in Episode 3, Tommy even said as much: 'He'd be halfway to Seattle to save my life,' Tommy said, when Ellie tried to argue Joel would go to Seattle to avenge Tommy's death. 'But when we lost people, no. It would just break him, like it was his fault. I saw that time and time again.') But Ellie isn't hearing it. There's too many variables. 'Fuck the community!' Ellie screams. 'You let a kid die today, Jesse. Because why? He wasn't in your community? Let me tell you about my community. My community was beaten to death in front of me while I had to fucking watch.' To be fair, Jesse didn't 'let' anyone die. There was no way they could've saved the Scar who was trapped by W.L.F. soldiers. Ellie and Jesse vs. a literal army? Sorry, but they're taking an 'L' on that one. But the selective responsibility Ellie points out does bring up one of the show's thornier subjects: Where do you draw the line when it comes to helping others when doing so comes at great personal risk to yourself? With the Scar boy from earlier that day, it's a relatively easy choice. But Jesse and Tommy already made a harder choice — to come to Seattle to save Ellie and Dina — and Jesse, as he explains to Ellie, already sacrificed his own romantic happiness to stick in Jackson and help the townsfolk, which includes Ellie. 'I go with that girl to New Mexico,' he says, 'who saves your ass in Seattle?' Despite Ellie and Jesse accusing (and then, later on, supporting) each other, the difference between them is clear. In Jesse's scenario, neither road available to him is actively harmful: If he goes with the woman to New Mexico, maybe he makes her happy, himself happy, and the people of New Mexico happy. Sure, everyone in Jackson would miss him, but they could've found another leader-in-waiting. Still, he chose to stay. Maybe he's less of a romantic, or maybe — as it's implied here — he's less selfish than Ellie. That doesn't mean 'better'; sometimes you need to be selfish. Ellie just took it too far. With Ellie, if she had stayed in Jackson, Dina would have been safe. Ellie would have been safe. The people of Jackson would still have two of their best patrol members, Tommy would still have a de facto niece, and Jesse would have been able to see his baby be born. Going had a single best case scenario: Abby would be dead. One more person on this planet would be gone. And for what? Abby isn't a known threat to anyone now that Joel is gone. Ellie's revenge is for her. It's selfish. It's meant to be healing, but it's only sewing more destruction. Now that destruction is all around her. Nora, Owen, Mel, and Mel's baby are dead. Jesse is dead. Tommy and Dina are wounded, and it's hard to imagine Abby letting them live. Ellie may be gone, too, although — without knowing what happens in the games — I have to imagine her story will continue. Her nature, her soul, is still forming. She hasn't hardened into a monster or softened enough to find mercy. But fate doesn't wait around for you to be ready. Whether she lives or dies, she chose the path that led her here. 'The Last of Us' Season 2 is available on HBO and Max (which is soon to be HBO Max… again). The series has been renewed for Season 3. • Speaking of monsters, a brief word on the book Ellie picks out for Dina's unborn baby: 'The Monster at the End of This Book,' written by Jon Stone with illustrations by Michael Smollin. The children's book, first published in 1971, tells an innovative meta narrative in which Grover (the 'Sesame Street' character) reads the title of the book and gets scared about what sort of monster is waiting for him at the end. From there, most of the book's 'story' is just Grover begging the reader not to continue, so he doesn't have to encounter the monster, but (spoiler alert) the monster at the end of the book is… Grover. For kids, the lesson is clear: The scariest monster is the one you build up in your mind. Expectations and reality don't always match up, and sometimes a monster is just… misunderstood. Take that reading a step further (not unlike comedian Gary Gulman's does in his 2024 stand-up special, 'Grandiliquent'), and the monster at the end of the book is the reader themselves, or more accurately, whatever anxiety, trauma, or scarring event from the reader's past they can't seem to escape — and shapes how they see the world. Gee, I wonder how that would apply to Ellie? • And speaking of presumed leaders who abandon their posts, what the heck is going on with Abby, Isaac (Jeffrey Wright), and the W.L.F.? During 'Seattle Day 3,' she's M.I.A. Isaac sits down with Sgt. Park (Hettienne Park) and complains that Abby and her whole team are missing on 'tonight of all nights.' Later, we get an idea of that night's significance when the W.L.F. sets off a massive explosion at the Seraphites' village. It's unclear who lived and died, what was destroyed, or if anything was accomplished, but it's implied — both by Isaac and by Owen, who doesn't seem to know where Abby is before Ellie walks in on him — that Abby was supposed to be on those attack boats, and she just… wasn't. Isaac tells Sgt. Park he was planning for Abby to take over someday as the W.L.F. leader, so what happened to make her abandon that trajectory? We'll surely find out in Season 3, considering the final scene flashes back to 'Seattle Day 1' to share what's going on from Abby's perspective. But given the emphasis placed in Season 2 on Jesse's planned ascension in Jackson, as well as Ellie stepping into Joel's shoes, there's a growing emphasis on generational transitions in 'The Last of Us.' Jesse's succession would've been relatively smooth, given how much he aligned with the current leadership, Tommy and Maria (Rutina Wesley). But Ellie's attempts to follow in Joel's footsteps are bumpy at best. The longer she tries to play the badass avenger, the more she doubts whether that's who she is (and if that's who Joel wanted to be) . Could the same thing be happening to Abby? Could completing her quest for revenge have rattled her enough to drift from the person she was before? Might 'The Last of Us' actually see hope for a better future in a generation of kids so ill at ease with the actions of their elders that they run in the opposite direction? • For a show that took more than two years between Seasons 1 and 2, it's hard to sit with Mazin & Co.'s chosen endpoint. For one, Season 2 is only seven episodes long, as opposed to Season 1's nine-episode arc. But on top of that, this arc feels incomplete. Ellie's left halfway through a transformative moment. Everything happening between the W.L.F. and the Seraphites feels half-formed, and Abby has barely been fleshed out enough to build anticipation around seeing more of her in Season 3. I enjoyed the time I spent with 'The Last of Us' Season 2 — and I hope you did, too, dear readers — I just wish there was more closure before another long break. Best of IndieWire The 25 Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked Every IndieWire TV Review from 2020, Ranked by Grade from Best to Worst


UPI
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Famous birthdays for May 27: Andre 3000, Richard Schiff
TV // 1 day ago 'Last of Us' family helped calm the nerves of S2 newbie Kaitlyn Dever NEW YORK, May 25 (UPI) -- Kaitlyn Dever says she has had a long personal history with "The Last of Us" and felt overwhelmed with emotion when she was hired to star in HBO's adaptation of the blockbuster video game.


USA Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
All about that 'Last of Us' Season 2 finale: Who died? Who survived?
All about that 'Last of Us' Season 2 finale: Who died? Who survived? Show Caption Hide Caption Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal discuss father-daughter relationship 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reveal they didn't enjoy their character's estrangement in season 2. Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the Season 2 finale of "The Last of Us." Somehow, things have gotten worse for Ellie. The lead of HBO's "The Last of Us," played by Bella Ramsey, has had a rough season on the post-apocalyptic zombie drama. Her surrogate father figure Joel (Pedro Pascal), admitted that he killed dozens of people in her name, and then was shortly killed himself by the daughter of one of his victims, while Ellie looked on. For the rest of Season 2 Ellie has been on a rage- and vengeance-fueled hunt for Joel's killer, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), which brought her and her best friend/crush/girlfriend Dina (Isabela Merced) to the war-torn ruins of Seattle. By the finale episode, which aired May 25, Ellie and Dina's revenge-quest had seemingly lost all hope. Dina has been shot by an arrow in the crossfire of the war between the Washington Liberation Front/Wolves, the militia that Abby is a part of, and the Seraphites, a cult-ish religious group fond of lynching. She's tortured and killed one of Abby's friends and gotten a vague hint about where Abby might be. And her friend Jesse (Young Mazino) and surrogate uncle Tommy (Gabriel Luna) have come to Seattle to her rescue – and to tell her how stupid she's being. But that wasn't the end of her search. Here's everything that went down in the (literally) wet and wild season finale, and what it might mean for the show's upcoming third season. Ellie tells Dina about Joel and the Fireflies Pregnant Dina joined Ellie on her trip to Seattle both because she loves Ellie (as more than just a friend, we recently discovered) and because she loved Joel. But after Ellie tortured and killed Abby's comrade Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Ellie realizes she needs to come clean about her own crime, and Joel's. She tells Dina about all the fireflies Joel killed in Salt Lake City in Season 1. The revelation hardens Dina, who is now ready to go back to their home in Jackson, Wyoming, but is still committed to Ellie. She gives Ellie a bracelet for good luck. Dina stays behind at the theater they've been using for shelter while Ellie and Jesse go in search of Tommy. Ellie abandons her friends so she can seek vengeance − again While Ellie and Jesse are looking for Tommy they hear on Ellie's stolen WLF walkie about a sniper, and Jesse is convinced that it must be Tommy. Jesse wants to go get him immediately, but Ellie has just finally understood what Nora said about Abby's whereabouts: She realizes Abby is hiding out in an aquarium on a dock. She abandons Jesse, cursing what she sees as his holier-than-thou attitude and finds a boat to head for the aquarium amid a violent storm. But of course the teenager who grew up in a walled city in Boston and then a landlocked Wyoming town doesn't know much about sailing, and she is swept ashore a tiny island almost instantly and is captured by the Seraphites, who believe she's a Wolf. As she begs for her life they begin to string up her up in a tree, but an oncoming real attack from the WLF spooks them and they leave her gasping for air on the ground, rope still around her neck. Eventually she makes it to the aquarium, where she hears two of Abby's friends, Owen (Spencer Lord) and Mel (Ariela Barer) arguing about their absent leader. The place is full of bloody gauze and medical-looking instruments, but we can't quite make out what Owen and Mel are saying about Abby. Ellie doesn't care, drawing her gun on them and demanding they tell her where Abby is. Owen tries a quick shot at Ellie but misses, and Ellie fires back hitting both Owen and Mel. Owen falls instantly, but Mel has a few seconds before she bleeds out, and reveals she's pregnant. She begs Ellie to deliver her baby via C-section before she dies, but Ellie, crying and traumatized, doesn't know what to do, and Mel perishes along with her unborn child. Ellie still doesn't find out where Abby is. Soon after Jesse and Tommy show up to rescue Ellie yet again, and all three go back to the theater. What happens in that theater between Abby and Ellie? Back at the theater, Ellie talks with Tommy and Jesse, coming to terms with the fact that she must give up her thirst for vengeance and return home. She also reconciles with Jesse, and the friends have a sweet moment where they realize how much they care about each other. A second later they hear a disturbance from the other room and run out to the theater's lobby. They burst through the door Jesse is shot and killed, and Abby is standing with a gun on Tommy. Ellie begs Abby to spare Tommy's life, taking responsibility for killing Abby's friends. Abby raises her gun as Ellie screams, a shot is fired and then … the screen cuts to black. What does the 'Last of Us' finale mean for Season 3? In the very last scene we see Abby, safe and sound in a compound for the WLF, and the onscreen text tells us we've gone back in time three days, to the first day Ellie and Dina came to Seattle. This is a strong indicator that Season 3 of the series will be all about Abby, which mirrors the narrative structure of the video game. That could mean very little of Ramsey's Ellie in the episodes, and it's almost a guarantee Pascal will not be returning. HBO has yet to set a date for Season 3.