Druckmann & Gross leave The Last of Us TV series, as Druckmann refocuses on Intergalactic development
Two key parts of the creative team on HBO’s The Last of Us TV series have stepped away from the production ahead of Season 3. Neil Druckmann is leaving to focus on his work at Naughty Dog and on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, while the Last of Us Part 2 co-writer Halley Gross is also leaving the writer’s room.
Druckmann writes on social media:
“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With 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.
“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons. I’m 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.”
“With great care and consideration, I’ve decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next. I’m so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing. The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world are exactly why I love this franchise.
“I have some truly rad projects ahead that I can’t wait to share, but for now, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who brought Ellie and Joel’s world to life with such care.”
This leaves the show entirely in the hands of Craig Mazin to produce, direct and lead the writing of the last two seasons of the show. He had already shouldered the bulk of the adaptation through the first two seasons of The Last of Us, the sole writer on 11 of the 16 episodes released so far, with Druckmann writing one himself, and broader collaborations for the Season 1 opening and finale, and the final two episodes of Season 2.
The announcement has left viewers and fans of the game and show a bit unsure of how to feel. Similar to The Last of Us Part II as a video game, the narrative direction that featured in Season 2 of the TV series was less universally beloved than the first, but beyond still controversial narrative choices, it also had to contend with telling only a part of the second game’s story. In general, many are happy that Druckmann is able to focus his efforts on the Intergalactic, but there’s less consensus over Mazin’s adaptation of the second game.
Anyway, we’ll just have to wait and see.
