HBO The Last of Us could return sooner than the public expected.

Talk to Deadline Following the Emmys, HBO and Max Content CEO Casey Bloys shared some insight into the expected release date of the next season of the Emmy-winning video game adaptation. While he remained tight-lipped about the exact release date, he did say that and The White Lotus will premiere around “usually in the first half of the year [2025]I expect them to be in the Emmy window.” Bloys also offered encouraging words about the quality of the show, saying, “I saw The Last of Us. I think everyone will love what [co-creator] Craig [Mazin] is doing. White Lotus I haven’t seen anything yet, but I went to see it. Of course, I’ve seen rushes and read scripts, so I have high hopes for both.”

A trailer for HBO’s upcoming shows has given fans a first look The Last of Us season 2, based on the acclaimed but polarizing sequel to Naughty Dog’s 2020 game The Last of Us Part IIThe reel showed Joel (Pedro Pascal) having a conversation with a character played by Catherine O’Hara about his decision to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey), while also teasing familiar game locations and characters like Kathryn Dever’s Abby, Isabela Merced’s Dina and Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac.

Jeffrey Wright reprises his role from the video game

Similar to Season 1, which saw Merle Dandridge reprise her role from the 2013 game as Marlene, Wright will physically play the ruthless leader of the Washington Liberation Front controlling post-apocalyptic Seattle, with other clips hinting at the game’s overarching conflict between the WLF and the Seraphites. It’s unclear if other The Last of Us Part II The game’s actors will appear in live-action, although Abby actress Laura Bailey made a cameo in the season 1 finale as Nurse Firefly.

Although it won Game of the Year, The Last of Us Part IIThe release of Season 2 was marred by online controversy surrounding the game’s story choices, with leaks of notorious plot details and death threats against Bailey for her portrayal of Abby Anderson. In a recent interview, Merced revealed how this backlash affected Dever during the filming of Season 2, noting, “There are people who really hate Abby, who is not a real person. Just a reminder, she is not a real person. And so Kaitlyn had to be reinforced by security while filming this movie.”

Merced recently starred in the new Stranger movie Alien: Romuluswith director Fede Alvarez admitting a key element The Last of Us Part II The subplot involving Dina influenced the role he wrote for Merced before she joined his film and The Last of Us series.

While Hulu Shogun and HBO Tips won this year’s Emmy Awards for best drama and best comedy, another video game adaptation – Prime Video To fall — was in the running for the Drama category. Additionally, Netflix League of Legends adaptation Esoteric will release its second season in November.

The Last of Us season 1 is streaming on Maxwhile season 2 will air in 2025.

Source: Deadline