Neil Druckmann Has High Hopes for THE LAST OF US Season 3
It came as a surprise when Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us and co-creator of HBO’s hit adaptation, announced he was stepping away from the series after season two.
Fans immediately wondered if something bigger was going on behind the scenes, but Druckmann has since made it clear that his exit wasn’t about drama. After spreading himself thin between TV and games for years, he felt it was time to refocus on video games while leaving the show in the very capable hands of Craig Mazin.
In a recent interview with Variety, Druckmann opened up more about his departure and where he sees The Last of Us season three heading.
“My hope for season three, and what I’d like to think I can best contribute to it, is to make sure it’s as deeply faithful as season one was because I feel like that is the gold standard for this kind of adaptation, while enjoying all these beautiful expansions that happen naturally with the rest of the team and how they’re working on season three. So that is where my involvement will stay is at that very, very high level.”
That lines up with what we’ve been hearing about the direction of season three. Much like the video game, the story is expected to shift toward Abby, who will be played by Kaitlyn Dever. Druckmann also teased that the upcoming season won’t be the final chapter for the franchise as a whole.
“With the show, my hope is that we’re going to end this story in a deeply faithful way, in the same way that we started, and that’ll be the end for this version of the story.
“But that’s not the end of The Last of Us for Naughty Dog,” he said. “That doesn’t mean necessarily that’s going to happen indoors or outdoors—we’re in talks to do multiple things.”
That’s where things get really interesting. Druckmann has already said Naughty Dog isn’t moving forward with a third Last of Us game despite considering it after Part II. So what could these “multiple things” be? New TV spinoffs? Comics? An animated series? Druckmann is keeping quiet for now.
Regardless, fans can look forward to season three carrying the same faithfulness and emotional weight as the first season, with Druckmann still keeping a hand in shaping the story from a distance.
What do you think these new projects might be? Would you want spinoffs exploring other corners of the Last of Us universe, or do you think it’s best to let the main story stand on its own?