We’ve come a long way from the early days of video game adaptations for TV and movies. One of the reasons why so many are happy with where we are now is that people FINALLY figured out that you can take great video games and adapt them PROPERLY just by adhering to the stories and characters that were produced. That’s why The Last Of Us Season 2 is so anticipated on HBO. The first season wasn’t just a great adaptation, it arguably improved upon the legendary Naughty Dog video game in ways even its creators were impressed with. So now, Season 2 is a must-watch thing.
We know that production of The Last Of Us Season 2 is going on right now, but there have been some curious details sprouting out that have given some pause. Fast forward to now, and in an interview with Deadline, co-creator/showrunner Craig Mazin admits that Season 2 will only be seven episodes. However, there’s a reason for that, and it has to do with the game’s story:
“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons. When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the [natural] breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”
For context, the first game was nine episodes long, and only cut out certain sections from the game while blending in the beloved DLC that focused more on Ellie’s backstory before meeting Joel. The twist is that while the episode count may be shorter, the length of the series could be getting longer:
“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in season 1 too. We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season 4.”
If the ratings hold or set records like the first season did, that won’t be a hard ask, especially since HBO will want to keep it on air so long as it can keep producing good seasons.
