- The Last of Us TV show has misplaced one of its showrunners
- Neil Druckmann is stepping away earlier than work begins on season 3
- His departure has nothing to do with the HBO Max Unique’s poor season 2 rankings
The Last of Us co-showrunner Neil Druckmann has made the shock choice to step again from engaged on HBO’s TV adaptation.
In a press release launched yesterday (July 2), Druckmann confirmed he was departing the mission after two seasons. Nonetheless, Druckmann’s departure has nothing to do with how poorly The Last of Us season 2 was obtained amongst common audiences. As an alternative, Druckmann, who is additionally the Studio Head and President of Naughty Canine, the videogame firm that initially created The Last of Us, is strolling away from its TV namesake to give attention to his obligations with mentioned firm.
“I’ve made the tough choice to step away from my artistic involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,” Druckmann surprisingly revealed. “With work accomplished on season 2 and earlier than any significant work begins on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my full focus to Naughty Canine and its future initiatives, together with writing and directing our thrilling subsequent sport Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, together with my obligations as Studio Head and Head of Artistic.
“Co-creating the show has been a profession spotlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside [co-showrunner] Craig Mazin to government produce, direct, and write on the final two seasons. I’m deeply grateful for the considerate method and dedication the gifted solid and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Half I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Half II.”
Mazin is now anticipated to solely lead improvement on The Last of Us TV show, which is set to run for an additional two seasons. Certainly, The Last of Us season 3 was formally introduced earlier than season 2 premiered and Mazin has since confirmed he’ll want a fourth season to adapt The Last of Us Half II‘s full story.
Search for the ever-dimming gentle
It is unclear if Druckmann at all times deliberate to name it quits on the HBO and Max TV Unique after co-helming it for 2 seasons. What is clear, although, is that The Last of Us‘ sophomore season didn’t recapture the spark that made its first season so successful.
Per overview aggregation web site (*3*), The Last of Us season 1 was a important and business hit; the collection’ first entry incomes 96% important and 86% viewers scores respectively. Nonetheless, whereas The Last of Us season 2 was equally praised by critics – its 92% score serving as proof of that – on a regular basis viewers slammed one of the finest Max reveals’ newest installment, which at present holds a paltry 37% approval score.
Issues aren’t a lot better on the viewing figures entrance, both. In Could 2023, The Last of Us set a brand new HBO Max file that noticed every episode pull in a mean 32 million viewers in the US alone. Its season 1 finale pulled in a a collection excessive 8.2 million folks when it debuted on March 12, 2023, too.
Nonetheless, regardless of season 2 averaging 37 million viewers in the 90-day interval following its premiere, its finale drew in simply 3.7 million customers. That represents a 55% lower on its forebear’s ultimate entry. Clearly, the show’s artistic staff have rather a lot of work ahead of them to make sure The Last of Us season 3 revives many individuals’s curiosity in it.