Craig Mazin is actively writing The Last of Us Season 3, and it’ll address one of the biggest criticisms of Season 2.
The second season of The Last of Us was critically acclaimed and earned several Emmy nominations. However, it wasn’t as warmly received by fans, whether it was changes to Part 2’s story, Bella Ramsey’s performance, or its cliffhanger that set up an even more divisive third (and possibly final) chapter.
In the months since the finale, the series has undergone one massive change behind the scenes: Naughty Dog chief Neil Druckmann (the creator of the original games) left the project, calling it a “career highlight” and citing his commitments to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
How much Druckmann’s absence will affect the show remains to be seen, but Mazin doesn’t think it’ll change his process.
The Last of Us Season 3 will be longer than Season 2
Mazin has confirmed that The Last of Us Season 3 will have more episodes than Season 2, which only had eight episodes.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin was asked how the third season will differ in terms of pacing, given Season 2 only covered half of Part 2.
“We’re kind of fiddling around with that – it’s a little bit of a trade secret at the moment,” he said.
“But I will say that season three will be longer than Season 2. Season 3 will be more on par with Season 1. More bang for the buck.”
Season 1 had nine episodes, one more episode than Season 2, so it’s not a lot more “bang for the buck.”
In an earlier interview with Variety, HBO boss Casey Bloys said Mazin was “still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season… it hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.”
As for writing without Druckmann, Mazin compared himself to a “monk writing in a room by [himself] for most of the time regardless.”
“And I’ve gotten so much out of talking with them over the course of Seasons 1 and 2. When we made Season 2, we really were thinking about what comes after because you can’t really tell half of that story without thinking about what the whole story should be,” he continued.
“So we really did get that work in. Neil’s always had a full-time job running Naughty Dog, so it’s always been me up in Canada [where the production is], and, ultimately, things are pretty much going to proceed as usual.”
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