Everything You Need to Know About the Cast, Release Date, and More – Hollywood Life
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The Last of Us was one of the biggest shows of 2023. The hit HBO series, based on the Naughty Dog game, became a rating juggernaut for the network. The season finale reached a series high of 8.2 million viewers despite airing on the same night as the Oscars. The show earned several Golden Globe nominations, including Best Television Series, Drama, and HBO is finally revealing major tidbits about season 2. Get ready for Abby and Dina!
In a new teaser video from season 2, Pedro Pascal‘s character, Joel, is seen speaking with Catherine O’Hara
.The season 1 finale set the stage for what’s to come in season 2. Joel and Ellie finally made it to the Fireflies, but their journey didn’t end as they were expecting. Ellie was going to have to die in hopes of finding a cure, and Joel refused to let that happen. He went on a hospital massacre to save Ellie and eventually killed Marlene to protect her. When Ellie asked Joel for the truth about what happened, he lied to her face. Joel’s shocking actions showcased the depths people will go to for those they love.
So, what do we know about The Last of Us season 2? When is season 2 going to be released? Who is playing Abby? Hollywood Life has rounded up all the latest news about the second season.
‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2 Release Date
HBO has not announced a release date for the second season of The Last of Us. According to HBO, season 2 will air in 2025.
The hit show was renewed for season 2 on January 27, 2023. “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,” executive producer Neil Druckmann said in a statement. “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!”
Fellow EP Craig Mazin also said, “I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey. The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”
‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2 Cast
The Last of Us wouldn’t be The Last of Us without Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Since Joel and Ellie were traveling back to Tommy’s settlement in Jackson, Wyoming, at the end of season 1, you can expect Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley to return as Tommy and Maria. At the start of 2024, HBO announced the cast members who will be playing pivotal roles in season 2.
The role of Abby will be a major one in The Last of Us, and the season 1 finale actually set up her introduction. When Joel went on his killing rampage at the hospital to save Ellie, he killed a doctor who was about to perform surgery on Ellie to try and find a cure for the cordyceps infection. In The Last of Us Part II, that doctor is Jerry Anderson, Abby’s father. Abby vows to avenge her father’s death and what she does to do that will make her one of TV’s most controversial characters.
Kaitlyn Dever will play Abby in The Last of Us season 2. For months leading up to Kaitlyn’s announcement, fans became convinced that The Wilds alum Shannon Berry would play Abby. And it wasn’t just because Shannon and Abby look similar. Neil Druckmann followed Shannon on Instagram, according to Forbes, and Shannon followed Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Neil, and The Last of Us Instagram accounts.
The character of Dina, one of Ellie’s closest friends, will be played by Isabela Merced. The actress is known for her roles in Dora and the Lost City of Gold and the upcoming Superman: Legacy and Madame Web. “Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said in a statement, according to Variety. “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”
Beef star Young Mazino will play Jesse in season 2. Jesse is described as “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost,” Variety noted. The Last of Us co-creators released the following statement about the actor. “Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him. We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”
Will Ellie Be Recast?
There’s been speculation online that the role of Ellie could be recast because The Last of Us Part II, which will play out in season 2, jumps 5 years ahead after Part I. Ellie matures a lot during that time jump, which is shown in the game. Some fans have been thinking that Bella Ramsey could be replaced with an older actor.
Craig noted that Bella is currently 19 years old, which is Ellie’s age in Part II. He confirmed that Bella will return in season 2 as Ellie. “We are making it with Bella,” he said in a virtual press conference, according to Variety.
Neil added, “We are extremely lucky to have Bella and the stuff you saw throughout this entire season. The only way we would ever, ever consider recasting Bella is if she said, ‘I don’t want to work with you guys anymore.’ Even then, I’m not sure we would grant her that. We might still force her to come back to season 2.”
Craig also pointed out that there will continue to be changes from the game to the screen. The show will not be a carbon copy of