HBO's The Last of Us showrunner issues season two update fans didn't want to hear

HBO’s The Last of Us kicked the year off with a bang. Honestly, to call the show a success feels like an understatement. Many branded it as the greatest video game adaption of all time, and rightly so. It’s clear to see why the show was rapidly renewed for a second season, but that second season has hit a few bumps in the road.

As I’m sure you’re aware, in the US, both the writer’s union (WGA) and screen actor’s union (SAG-AFTRA) are on strike and while this is happening, progress on many Hollywood projects has totally ground to a halt. The Last of Us’ co-showrunner Craig Mazin has been drip-feeding us new tidbits about the show to keep us occupied. We know that it’s due to run for at least four seasons, if all goes to plan, and he hinted that they may have found their Abby - although with the strikes, that cannot be announced or confirmed. For those wondering when season two might air though, Mazin just offered an update no fan wants to hear.

Want to refresh your memory on just how great the show was? Take a look at the trailer below.

In an interview with The Awardist, Mazin confirmed that it’s looking increasingly likely that they won’t be able to begin filming the show when they’d originally hoped to. He said, "I think it's becoming essentially a near certainty that we won't be able to start [filming] when we were hoping to start, which is upsetting. We are all raring to go. This is what we are born to do. This is how we not only choose to live our lives, but I believe [how we] are compelled to live our lives. Otherwise, why the hell would we do this insane job? I can assure you it's not for money."

Mazin added that he’d written the first episode of the season before the strike began, saying, “We were able to map out all of season two, And I also wrote and submitted the script for the first episode and sent it in [to HBO] around 10.30 or 10.40pm right before the midnight and the strike began."

It’s clear to see why the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are necessary though. It was rumoured that season two would begin filming later this year. If Mazin’s words are anything to go by, that’ll be pushed back to 2024, pushing the eventual air date back with it.