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The Last of Us suffers major shakeup as co-creator and executive producer step down: “Now is the right time”

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The Last of Us’ spoilers follow.

Neil Druckmann, a co-creator of “The Last of Us”, has relinquished his duties as co-showrunner prior to season 3, and Halley Gross, who served as co-executive producer, has also departed the show.

Druckmann will remain as an executive producer and jointly contribute as a co-creator in the post-apocalyptic series. However, his choice means that Craig Mazin is now the only showrunner leading into the upcoming episode.

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In his statement posted on Instagram today, Druckmann announced that he is choosing to disengage from his creative role in “The Last of Us” on HBO.

Since the conclusion of season 2 and without diving into season 3 just yet, I believe it’s ideal for me to shift all my attention towards Naughty Dog and its upcoming ventures. This includes working on our upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, as a writer and director, while also fulfilling my roles as Studio Head and Creative Lead.

Naughty Dog’s leader, Druckmann, is the mastermind behind the video game company that introduced the popular series known as “The Last of Us.

Working together on this show has been one of my best career experiences. I feel privileged to have collaborated with Craig Mazin in producing, directing, and writing for the final two seasons, Druckmann added.

I am incredibly appreciative for the thoughtful and dedicated efforts the gifted cast and crew have put into adapting ‘The Last of Us Part I,’ as well as their ongoing adaptation of ‘The Last of Us Part II.’ I eagerly anticipate HBO and PlayStation Productions continuing Ellie and Abby’s story in the next season.

Additionally, co-executive producer and writer Gross declared that she will be reducing her active involvement in the daily operations of the show.

In her Instagram post, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the unique experience she had while collaborating with Neil, Craig, HBO, an exceptional team of cast and crew. This association, she noted, has been transformative in her life. The narratives we created – exploring themes such as love, grief, and what it signifies to be human amidst a frightening reality – are the very reasons why I am so passionate about this series.

This year, the well-liked television show premiered its second season, continuing the storyline from the second game. Following Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) act of vengeance against Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey) embarks on a personal quest to track down her chief adversary for retribution.

The second season concluded with a suspenseful moment as Abby aimed a gun at Ellie, followed by a shift in perspective to show us events from Abby’s past, three days prior to this tense encounter.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m thrilled to share that “The Last of Us” season 2 is set to premiere on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK. For my fellow gamers in the US, you can catch it on HBO. Can’t wait to dive back into this post-apocalyptic world!

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2025-07-02 22:19

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