The Last of Us season 2 is on hold due to the WGA writers’ strike
It’s been two weeks since members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike, and several TV productions are already starting to feel the effects. Example: Casting for HBO’s second season The last of us – like Netflix’s Stranger things and Disney’s Andor — has stopped in the aftermath of the strike, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the production.
According to Variety, casting for the second season of the hit post-apocalyptic horror series, adapted from developer Naughty Dog’s 2013 video game of the same name, was suspended earlier this week due to the WGA strike. At this time, neither series showrunner Craig Mazin nor series co-creator Neil Druckmann are currently working on the production of The last of ussecond season in any capacity.
The Variety report cites multiple unnamed sources as claiming that the casting team for the second season auditioned actors prior to this week by asking them to read dialogue straight from the 2020s. The Last of Us Part II, which the series’ second season is supposedly based on. This is because scripts for the second season have not yet been written, with Mazin (who wrote the majority of the first season’s nine episodes) currently striking alongside his fellow Writers Guild of America members.
The delay of The last of ussecond season is the latest in a number of delays that have occurred due to the WGA strike. On Saturday, May 6 Stranger things showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer took to Twitter to announce that all production on the series’ fifth and final season has out of solidarity with the strike. Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy also released a statement via The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday saying he has ceased all writing and producing duties for the series’ second season. Meanwhile, HBO’s other giant tentpole, House of the Dragonwill continue filming, with the company claiming all scripts were completed before production.
The WGA is currently on strike, citing the need for a higher wage floor, salary standardization, and residuals for entertainment released on streaming or in theaters, as well as to “address the abuse of mini-rooms,” which are essentially smaller writers’ rooms that offer less stability and engagement for writers. Using AI to create content is also on the table.
Before the strike, the second season of The last of us would begin filming in Vancouver in early 2024 and would premiere sometime between late 2024 and early 2025. It is unclear if and how the strike will affect the release.