The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann is stepping away from his creative involvement in HBO’s TV adaptation, calling this a “difficult decision”.
In a statement shared on social media, Druckmann said now season two of The Last of Us had wrapped, he would be moving his “complete focus” back to Naughty Dog. This includes writing and directing the studio’s all new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, as well as Naughty Dog’s future projects.
“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” Druckmann said. “It’s been an honour to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons.”
Druckmann added he was “deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting” the first The Last of Us game, as well as the ongoing work adapting The Last of Us Part 2 for TV.
The statement noted now was the right time for the Naughty Dog head to step back from the show, before meaningful work on season three begins.
The Last of Us season two aired earlier this year, picking up five years after the events of the season one finale, with Ellie and Joel – played by Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal – now living in Jackson. New cast members this season included Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse and Catherine O’Hara as a new character for the show, Gail.
Prior to its season two premiere, The Last of Us was renewed for a third season. At this time, showrunner Craig Mazin said: “We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew.”
The showrunner additionally confirmed The Last of Us TV team is working on a four season plan, stating there’s “no way” the show’s narrative can be wrapped up in only three seasons.
As for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, earlier this year the star of Naughty Dog’s next game said she’d received preparation for the role – and specifically the online reaction to it – from Druckmann himself, following the online abuse previously kicked up around The Last of Us Part 2.
Back in March, meanwhile, Druckmann explained how Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet features a fictitious religion which “becomes pretty prominent” in the game’s alternate history.