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After 2 Seasons, He Leaves 'The Last Of Us' Behind, The Creator Has Had Enough
Neil Druckmann departs from 'The Last of Us' to fully focus on new game projects and his work at Naughty Dog.
Neil Druckmann, the creator of the The Last of Us game series and co-creator of the HBO series, has confirmed that he will no longer be involved with the third season of the popular show. He has now provided further details.
Druckmann was heavily involved in the first two seasons as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. He has chosen to fully concentrate on his work at game developer Naughty Dog.
In a statement, Druckmann previously said: "I have made the difficult decision to step back from my creative involvement with The Last of Us on HBO." He believes completing season 2 was the right moment to refocus on his responsibilities as studio head and director at Naughty Dog.
One important project he aims to focus on is the new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Additionally, there are indications that there may still be a third game in the The Last of Us franchise in the works, though confirmation is still pending.
During an interview with Variety, Druckmann stated that balancing his role as showrunner with his duties at Naughty Dog was quite challenging. "It was quite difficult to keep so many balls in the air at the same time," he shared. In particular, directing episode 206 was reported to have been an intensive process for him.
Although he is stepping back from the day-to-day operations of the series, he will still remain involved behind the scenes. His role is now described as "very high level", overseeing fidelity to the source material. "My hope is that season 3 remains as true as season 1," Druckmann said. "I think that is the gold standard for adaptations, while I enjoy all the beautiful layers to the story that naturally come about."
Craig Mazin, known for Chernobyl—one of the best HBO series ever made—will now serve as the sole showrunner. However, previous discussions indicate that Druckmann had already contributed ideas for the story arc of season 3 during the production of the previous season. This was likely necessary as season 2 ends on a massive cliffhanger.
Druckmann was heavily involved in the first two seasons as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. He has chosen to fully concentrate on his work at game developer Naughty Dog.
Focusing On A New Game
In a statement, Druckmann previously said: "I have made the difficult decision to step back from my creative involvement with The Last of Us on HBO." He believes completing season 2 was the right moment to refocus on his responsibilities as studio head and director at Naughty Dog.
One important project he aims to focus on is the new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Additionally, there are indications that there may still be a third game in the The Last of Us franchise in the works, though confirmation is still pending.
Not A Final Goodbye
During an interview with Variety, Druckmann stated that balancing his role as showrunner with his duties at Naughty Dog was quite challenging. "It was quite difficult to keep so many balls in the air at the same time," he shared. In particular, directing episode 206 was reported to have been an intensive process for him.
Although he is stepping back from the day-to-day operations of the series, he will still remain involved behind the scenes. His role is now described as "very high level", overseeing fidelity to the source material. "My hope is that season 3 remains as true as season 1," Druckmann said. "I think that is the gold standard for adaptations, while I enjoy all the beautiful layers to the story that naturally come about."
The Future Of The Series
Craig Mazin, known for Chernobyl—one of the best HBO series ever made—will now serve as the sole showrunner. However, previous discussions indicate that Druckmann had already contributed ideas for the story arc of season 3 during the production of the previous season. This was likely necessary as season 2 ends on a massive cliffhanger.
