The Making of the Last of Us Part II PS5 Remastered and Season 2 of HBO’s TV Series Is “Very Serendipitous”

It’s a busy time for The Last of Us franchise. While Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog are gearing up for the release of The Last of Us Part II PS5 Remastered version, the creator is also equally focused on season 2 of the tv series. After all, it’s based on his blockbuster video game from 2020. With the SAG-AFTRA strikes over, shooting for season 2 is set to start in January. Meanwhile, Neil Druckmann has spoken again about the franchise.

One thing that was already confirmed was that season 2 will be based on the second game. And now, The Last of Us creator unleashed some new details on how Season 2 of HBO’s live-action TV series is taking inspirations from 2020’s PlayStation exclusive.

The Last of Us Part II PS5 Remastered and The Last of Us Season 2 will be more connected than you think

For the uninitiated, Neil Druckmann is the showrunner of TLOU TV series alongside Craig Maizin. In Season 1, viewers witnessed various moments where the creators made few changes from the source game from 2013. At least gamers were able to spot the differences. For instance, Sam couldn’t speak in the show. And the game never explored Frank and Bill’s story as much in depth as the show, which dedicated an entire episode to focus on their story.

Seems like the next season will follow a similar path. TLOU creator Neil Druckmann revealed this information in a new interview, highlighting how the first season diverged from the original works to suit the medium (television).

Further, the creator also mentioned that currently the development of The Last of Us Part II PS5 Remastered is overlapping with Season 2 of HBO’s TV series based on Naughty Dog’s video games. In his own words, it is “very serendipitous.”

“Game and TV development are often very different in nature, and Part II Remastered’s development was about offering the best version of this game possible rather than teeing up any work for the show,” said Druckmann.

He revealed how he had to make a balance between working on TLOU 2’s remastered version and the TV show’s next season. “I remember going into the studio to record commentary tracks for a handful of cinematics, then in the afternoon meeting with Craig to break season 2’s story — which was often based on the same sequences/moments,” he told Entertainment Weekly. Basically, the entire process of working on the remaster doubled the scope of doing research regarding the intricacies of the main story.

What to expect from Season 2 of The Last of Us? Will there be a twist?

Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t played The Last of Us Part II

Those who have played The Last of Us Part II already know the story. However, the game’s reception was divisive, due to the direction in which the game headed and the decisions made. A lot of players took issue to Joel’s death.

But the game still won Game of the Year for 2020 at The Game Awards.

Talking about the TV series and its next season, it will directly take place five years after the ending of the first game. The story will focus on Ellie going down the path of revenge after Joel’s death. This is what one expects from Season 2, considering the game is the source. However, showrunners taking the liberty to make drastic changes is not new. While season 1 had few minor changes, shows like The Walking Dead, for example, made massive changes to many characters in terms of their longevity, traits, deaths and more. And TWD is also based on the comics. So you never know.

Read More: The Last of Us Factions Project Gets an Update From the Director, All Thanks to Super Mario Bros. Wonder!

In the interview with EW, Neil Druckmann also stated, “Craig and I want to create a great season of television that stays true to the themes and intent of the original Part II story while adapting the story as best we can for a different medium.” So it’s safe to assume that while the show may make a few changes like in season 1, in the grander scheme of things, it will stay true to the source of the story.

As mentioned by Neil Druckmann, things may change according to what suits the TV series. It will be interesting to see how the show brings the story of the second game to the show. And the introduction of Abby will only spice things up.

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