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The Last of Us has been a major hit for HBO since its premiere in 2023, but the series is facing a creative change behind-the-scenes moving forward into Season 3. Neil Druckmann–the co-creator of The Last of Us video games and the co-showrunner of the series–has announced his departure from the show.
Naughty Dog shared the announcement on social media, noting that Druckmann is leaving The Last of Us to focus on his duties at the studio and to work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the next game from Naughty Dog.
“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” wrote Druckmann. “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.”
“It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” added Mazin in his own statement via 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. 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.”
Mazin and Druckmann previously confirmed that Season 3 will shift the perspective from Bella Ramsey’s Ellie to Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby.
Although HBO has yet to order any additional seasons beyond Season 3, a fourth season is expected to finish the adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2 and potentially wrap up the entire series. Prior to leaving the show, Druckmann didn’t rule out The Last of Us Part 3, but that game has yet to be confirmed.
“It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” Mazin said in a statement. “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. 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.”
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