'The Last of Us' renewed for another season

WASHINGTON: HBO has announced that "The Last of Us" will return for a second season. According to Variety, a US-based media house, after just two episodes, the premium cabler has already booked a second season. The third episode is scheduled to debut this Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

"I'm humbled, honoured, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie's journey.

The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations," executive producer Neil Druckmann, who was also the writer and creative director of the game told Variety.

"Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!" It is hardly shocking that the series has been renewed because both critics and viewers have praised it. This past Sunday, episode two garnered 5.7 million viewers on HBO and HBO Max in the US, as per Variety.

This is the highest week two audience rise for any HBO drama series in the network's history, up 22 per cent from the 4.7 million viewers that watched the first episode. Additionally, HBO currently claims that since its domestic premiere on January 15, episode one has attracted 22 million viewers.

"I'm so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I'm even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey," executive producer and showrunner Craig Mazin told Variety.

"The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn't be more ready to dive back in." The series "takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed," according to the official synopsis.

A seasoned survivor named Joel (Pedro Pascal) is paid to transport 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a restrictive quarantine zone. A simple task quickly turns into a gruelling and tragic trip as they both travel throughout the United States and are dependent on one another to survive.

Season 1 also includes Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are also featured.