The Last of Us season two’s release date window confirmed

The possible release dates for the start of the second season of post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, have been revealed.

HBO chief executive Casey Bloys made the announcement during a 2025 programming slate presentation to journalists on Tuesday (12 November), revealing that Joel (Pascal) and Ellie’s (Ramsey) journey air next spring, IGN reported.

That time period – presumably between March and May – would make the series eligible for the 2025 Emmy Awards. The first series picked up 24 nominations for its first season, winning eight.

Season two will adapt the events of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II, itself a sequel to series one’s video-game source material.

The plot of the second game is even more brutal than the first, and follows the intertwined destinies of Washington Liberation Front (WLF) militia member Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and Ellie after the events of the first season’s finale.

Isabela Merced will star as Ellie’s girlfriend Dina, whom fans glimpsed in the first trailer for the season, while Beef star Young Mazino and Catherine O’Hara will also feature, the latter in a mystery role.

Say it out loud.

Season 2 of the HBO Original Series #TheLastOfUs is coming to Max in 2025. pic.twitter.com/EeYvaRQkoa

— Max (@StreamOnMax) November 12, 2024

The scope of the second game is a lot larger than the first, and creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann previously teased that the show “may require season four” to properly cover the events.

Mazin told Deadline: “We don’t think we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [two and three] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in season one too.

“One thing is absolutely for sure: I don’t see how we could tell the story that remains after season two is complete in one more season.”

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