Latest news with #TheLastofUsPartI
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Last of Us Creator Makes Shocking Exit From Show Ahead of Season 3
Originally appeared on E! Online The Last of Us has lost another major player. Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the hit video game who also helmed the HBO adaptation alongside Craig Mazin, announced he would be exiting the series ahead of production on season three. 'I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,' Druckmann said in a statement to The Ankler July 2. '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 [video game developer] 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.' The video game executive—who will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the show—also shared his gratitude for his work on the Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey-led series. More from E! Online How Many Years in Prison Does Sean "Diddy" Combs Face? What to Know After Verdict Lizzo Reveals the 3 Meals She Ate to Reach Her Weight Loss Goals Dad Reveals 14-Year-Old Son's Haunting Words Before Boy Walked Off 120-Foot Mountain Ledge 'Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,' Druckmann continued. '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.' In addition to Druckmann's exit, Halley Gross—who co-wrote the Part II version of the video game and worked on season two of the show—also revealed her departure. 'With great care and consideration, I've decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO's The Last of Us to make space for what comes next,' she shared in her own Instagram announcement. 'I'm so appreciative of how special this experience has been.' Gross added, 'Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing. The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise.' As for Mazin, he expressed gratitude towards his collaborators for all they did for the show. 'It's been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,' the Chernobyl creator said in a statement to Variety. 'I couldn't have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil's work in video games, I'm beyond excited to play his next game.' Looking ahead, Mazin continued, 'While he focuses on that, I'll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we're just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.' While The Last of Us has officially been renewed for season three, read on to learn the fate of other current TV shows. Renewed: The BachelorCanceled: Doctor OdysseyRenewed: Outlande: Blood of My BloodRenewed: MoblandRenewed: ReacherRenewed: My Guest Needs No Introduction With David LettermanRenewed: Watch What Happens LiveRenewed: Maxton Hall - The World Between UsRenewed: The Great American Baking ShowRenewed: Welcome to WrexhamRenewed: HacksRenewed: YellowjacketsRenewed: My Life Wit the Walter BoysRenewed: Million Dollar SecretRenewed: ForeverRenewed: Survival of the ThickestRenewed: The DiplomatRenewed: The Four SeasonsRenewed: Love on the SpectrumRenewed: BridgertonCanceled: Suits LACanceled: FoundRenewed & Moving: House of VillainsRenewed: Rivals For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann steps away from HBO TV show after backlash for season 2, to focus on new game
Neil Druckmann, co-creator of HBO's acclaimed adaptation of The Last of Us, has announced he is stepping back from the series to focus fully on his work at Naughty Dog, the PlayStation-owned studio behind the original games. A still from the second season of The Last of Us Druckmann made the announcement in an Instagram post on Naughty Dog's official account. Druckmann wrote, '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 development ramps up on Season 3, now is the right time to dedicate myself entirely to Naughty Dog and it's future projects including writing and directing our next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.' He further added, '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.' Writer Hally Gross also announces departure Halley Gross, who co-wrote The Last of Us Part II and served as an executive producer and writer on the series, has also announced her departure from the show. Gross also took to her Instagram account and wrote, 'With great care and consideration, I've decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO's The Last of Us to make space for what comes next. I'm so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing." She further added, "The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise. I have some truly rad projects ahead that I can't wait to share, but for now, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who brought Ellie and Joel's world to life with such care.' About The Last of Us The Last of Us is a critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama series on HBO. Season 1 was among the highest-rated series in HBO history. Set in a world ravaged by a fungal outbreak, the story follows Joel, a hardened survivor, and Ellie, a teenage girl who may hold the key to humanity's survival. Its debut season earned widespread praise and 24 Primetime Emmy nominations. Season 2 of The Last of Us has seen a notable dip in audience ratings compared to its highly acclaimed debut season. While critics continue to praise the show's performances, viewer reception has been more divided. Audience scores on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes have dropped significantly, falling below 50%, and user ratings on Metacritic have followed a similar downward trend. The season faced backlash over key plot developments, especially Joel's death. The cast of The Last of Us includes Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Storm Reid, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Melanie Lynskey, Troy Baker, and Ashley Johnson. Season 2 introduced new cast members such as Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever, Danny Ramirez, and Tati Gabrielle.
Pink Villa
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Neil Druckmann Leaves The Last of Us: What His Exit Could Mean For HBO Series Ahead of Season 3
Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of The Last of Us video game series and a key creative force behind the hit HBO adaptation, has announced he is stepping away from the show before Season 3 begins production. This unexpected move has surprised fans and sparked questions about what comes next for the HBO series. Druckmann says it's the right time Druckmann confirmed his decision in a statement shared on Naughty Dog's official Instagram account. 'I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,' he said. '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 added that co-creating the show had been a career highlight and said it was an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write the last two seasons. He shared that he was deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew brought to adapting The Last of Us Part I and continuing the adaptation of The Last of Us Part II. Halley Gross also steps back Halley Gross, who co-wrote The Last of Us Part II with Druckmann and served as an executive producer and writer on the HBO series, also announced her departure. 'With great care and consideration, I've decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO's The Last of Us to make space for what comes next,' Gross shared on Instagram. 'Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing.' Here's what this means for Season 3 Season 1 of The Last of Us became one of HBO's biggest shows ever when it premiered in 2023. Season 2, which dropped earlier this year, continued the story with high praise. HBO renewed the series for Season 3 in April. Craig Mazin, who co-created the series with Druckmann, said it had been a creative dream to work with Neil and adapt his brilliant work for HBO. He added that while Druckmann focuses on his next game, he would continue working with the cast and crew to deliver the show audiences have come to expect.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Last of Us co-creator quits HBO show to build new sci-fi universe
Neil Druckmann , co-creator of HBO 's The Last of Us and the original video game, is stepping away from the series ahead of its third season. In a statement posted Wednesday(July 2) on Naughty Dog's official Instagram account, Druckmann said: '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.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Photos Captured the Exact Wrong Moment Read More Undo 'Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,' the statement continued. '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 .' Critically acclaimed career Live Events Druckmann co-created the critically acclaimed series alongside Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). He served as executive producer, director, and writer for the first two seasons. While he will no longer be involved creatively in Season 3, Druckmann remains credited as co-creator and executive producer. Season 2, which concluded in May 2025, followed major events from the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II. The upcoming third season is expected to continue that story, focusing on the character Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever . Craig Mazin will now lead the show's creative direction on his own. In a statement, Mazin said: 'While he focuses on that [Naughty Dog], I'll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect.' A new sci fi universe in making Druckmann is currently working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new video game under development at Naughty Dog. The project, announced during The Game Awards in December, stars Tati Gabrielle (who played Nora in The Last of Us Season 2) as Jordan A. Mun, an interplanetary bounty hunter. Druckmann is writing and directing the game while continuing to serve as Naughty Dog's Studio Head and Head of Creative. The HBO series The Last of Us premiered in January 2023 to widespread acclaim. Season 1 won eight Emmys and was nominated for 24. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star as Joel and Ellie in the post-apocalyptic drama, based on the 2013 PlayStation game. No release date has been announced yet for Season 3.
Metro
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Creator of 'beloved' horror series dramatically quits ahead of season 3
The future of The Last of Us is set to be very different after creator Neil Druckmann announced he will be stepping away from the series. Based on the video game series of the same name, The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in a post-apocalyptic world. The acclaimed series, which returned for a second season earlier this year, follows groups of survivors 20 years after fungal virus infects large swathes of humanity. While the show has a mixed reception among its biggest fans right now, critics still love the HBO series and the series is cited as an example of how to adapt video games into TV shows. This transition from game to screen was helped by Druckmann, 46, who wrote and directed both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II before creating the TV show. But whatever a third season looks like for the series, Druckmann won't be involved after announcing his intention to step away from the hit zombie horror. On the Instagram page for The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog, he said: '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 two and before any meaningful work starts on season three, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.' He continued: '[This includes] writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative. '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.' On social media site X, fans speculated over whether the decision to step down has been made by Druckmann or engineered by HBO after mixed reactions to the story of season two. @Sagkyo joked, 'People who watched season 2 know this isn't a shocker at all given how bad it was,' while @TravDang accused the show of making 'huge mistakes' with some decisions. Druckmann concluded by saying that he was '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'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Series writer Halley Gross has also taken the decision to step away from The Last of Us after being one of the lead writers for the first two seasons, which boast 94% and 92% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. The critics consensus for season one reads as follows: 'Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is binge worthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.' More Trending Gross continued: 'With great care and consideration, I've decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO's The Last of Us to make space for what comes next. 'I'm so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing.' No date has been given yet regarding the release of The Last of Us season three, but the series was renewed for a third season in April 2025 and will continue to adapt The Last of Us Part II video game. View More » Watch The Last of Us on Apple TV, Sky Go, and Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: South Park faces major blow after 2-year wait for new season MORE: BBC finally drops series that fans were adamant should 'never be made' MORE: 'Addictive' TV thriller is finally completely free to binge on UK streamer
