{"id":33876,"date":"2025-07-02T23:58:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T23:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/33876\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T23:58:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T23:58:08","slug":"the-last-of-us-co-creator-neil-druckmann-leaves-hbo-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/33876\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Last of Us’ co-creator Neil Druckmann leaves HBO series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Neil Druckmann<\/a> is leaving \u201cThe Last of Us<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

Druckmann, the co-creator of the hit HBO series and writer of the game on which it is based, announced Wednesday that he would be stepping away from the show ahead of its third season. Season 2 of \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d concluded in May. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,\u201d Druckmann said in a statement posted<\/a> on Naughty Dog\u2019s Instagram account. \u201cWith work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cCo-creating the show has been a career highlight,\u201d the statement continued. \u201cIt\u2019s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I\u2019m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.\u201d<\/p>\n

Druckmann was a key creative behind the acclaimed 2013 video game \u201cThe Last of Us.\u201d The story of a man and a girl crossing a postapocalyptic landscape had been something on his mind for years before he joined the video game studio Naughty Dog, which he now leads. Set in a world ravaged by a fungal pandemic that turns human hosts into zombie-like creatures, \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d showed that a big-budget violent action shooter could be a canvas for complex themes and storylines. <\/p>\n

The television series, which premiered in 2023, was co-created by Druckmann and Mazin, an Emmy Award winner for HBO\u2019s limited series \u201cChernobyl<\/a>.\u201d Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey<\/a> as Joel and Ellie, respectively, the first season<\/a> was embraced by critics and audiences alike and went on to win eight Emmys (out of 24 total nominations). The show\u2019s second season<\/a>, which adapts the story from the follow-up 2020 video game, \u201cThe Last of Us Part II<\/a>,\u201d aired earlier this year. \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d Season 3 will continue the story from \u201cPart II,\u201d from the perspective of Kaitlyn Dever\u2019s Abby<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Naughty Dog\u2019s next game, \u201cIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet<\/a>,\u201d in development now for the PlayStation 5, will star Tati Gabrielle (who portrayed Nora in \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d Season 2) as Jordan A. Mun, an interplanetary bounty hunter stranded on a mysterious remote planet. Most of its details \u2014 including a release date \u2014 have yet to be revealed. <\/p>\n

The Ankler first reported the news of Druckmann\u2019s exit.<\/p>\n