According to Deadline, HBO Max has just decided to renew the hit video game adaptation series, The Last of Us for a second season. The high-profile live action adaptation managed to score the second-largest premiere after House of the Dragon since the debut of Boardwalk Empire nearly thirteen years ago.
For those not in the know, The Last of Us is an adaptation of the post-apocalyptic themed video game series of the same name and takes place twenty years after the fall of modern civilization due to a fungal cordyceps capable of reanimating the dead. The story revolves around Joel, played by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones), a bitter and hardened survivor who must ferry the intrepid fourteen-year old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones, Catherine Called Birdy), on a cross-country journey to a safe haven that is rumored to be working on a cure for the cordyceps infection.
As written by Deadline, episode one of The Last of Us has already surpassed 22 million views domestically, with episode two drawing in 5.7 million viewers on Sunday night, roughly about a million more viewers than the audience that tuned in for the premiere episode. The show also has a strong media presence and is currently the number one trending subject on Twitter, both in the U.S. and worldwide.
Executive producer Neil Druckmann (the Uncharted franchise, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier) stated, “I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations. Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”