The Last of Us will continue after HBO show ends, Naughty Dog confirms
Neil Druckmann has confirmed that Naughty Dog is not finished with The Last of Us, even as the HBO adaptation prepares to conclude with its third season. In an interview with The Washington Post, the series co-creator said the studio remains the steward of the franchise and that multiple projects tied to it are currently in development.
“Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP, and even though this might be the end of this adaptation, we’re not done with The Last of Us,” Druckmann said. He added that there are “a couple projects in the works” that the studio will discuss “when the time is right,” offering the clearest signal yet that the post-apocalyptic series will outlive its television counterpart.
The news comes nearly three years after Naughty Dog cancelled The Last of Us Online, a multiplayer project that had spent years in troubled development. That cancellation left the franchise’s future uncertain, particularly with the studio’s attention fixed on its next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Druckmann’s remarks suggest fans will likely hear more about the new projects only after that title ships.
Druckmann steps back from season 3
Druckmann also used the interview to distance himself further from the show’s upcoming third season. He confirmed that he played no part in shaping the season’s creative direction and that Naughty Dog had no creative role in it either. “I wasn’t involved in shaping this season’s creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season,” he said. “So I can’t personally speak to how production is progressing.”
This is a notable shift from earlier seasons, when Druckmann served as co-showrunner alongside Craig Mazin. When the show was renewed for a third season, it was announced that Mazin would continue as sole showrunner. Druckmann’s latest comments go further, suggesting the game studio behind the source material has essentially stepped away from the adaptation entirely.
The third season is slated to air next year and will wrap up the series, according to Druckmann. It will focus on Abby Anderson, played by Kaitlyn Dever, following the events of the second season. The show is expected to retell some events from her perspective before moving the story forward. Returning cast members include Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller, Isabela Merced as Dina and Young Mazino as Jesse, with newcomers Michelle Mao and Kyriana Kratter joining as Yara and Lev.
Filming on the season began in March and is scheduled to run until November, though Druckmann’s comments suggest he is not closely tracking that production.
What could come next for the franchise
Druckmann did not offer any specifics on what the next game in the series might be. The ending of The Last of Us Part 2 leaves several narrative avenues open. Ellie’s story could continue, with her left at perhaps her lowest point at the end of the last game. A sequel might allow her to find something resembling a happy ending, however rare that would be in this world.
Alternatively, a third game could leave Ellie behind entirely and follow Abby and Lev’s search for the Fireflies. The franchise’s setting also leaves room for entirely new characters and self-contained stories. The cancelled multiplayer project appeared to take the series to San Francisco, an area not previously explored in the games, suggesting the studio has already experimented with original narratives within the universe.
Given the polarising reception to The Last of Us Part 2, starting fresh with a new cast could prove a sensible direction. But with Druckmann only confirming that projects exist without detailing their nature, whether the next instalment will be The Last of Us Part 3, a spin-off or something else entirely is not yet known.
What is clear is that the franchise will outlive the HBO show. The third season may mark the end of the adaptation, but Naughty Dog’s stewardship of the world and its characters is set to continue.