There is a very good likelihood that your series will be renewed when you have HBO’s second-largest debut (after House of the Dragon) with a series opener that surpassed 22 million viewers and a second episode that saw a 22% increase from the series premiere.
HBO has given the green light to The Last of Us Season 2 following the news that the first episode has now surpassed 22 million viewers domestically, up nearly five times its premiere night audience.
The series from co-creators Craig Mazin (Emmy Award-winning creator of HBO’s Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (creator and writer of the award-winning The Last of Us franchise and Naughty Dog Co-President) marks HBO’s second largest debut, behind only House of the Dragon.
According to Nielsen and first-party statistics, The Last of Us‘s Episode 2 attracted 5.7 million viewers across HBO Max and linear telecasts in the United States on Sunday night, up more than 1 million from the show’s premiere. The biggest week two audience growth for any HBO Original drama series in the network’s history was this 22% increase.
“Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of ‘The Last of Us,'” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films.
“After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with season two.”
Executive producer Druckmann said, “I’m humbled, honored, 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.”
He continued about The Last of Us Season 2: “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!”
“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,” said executive producer Craig Mazin. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!” Mazin shared.
Season one stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and Storm Reid as Riley.
Along with Graham Greene and Elaine Miles, the cast also features Merle Dandridge as Marlon, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, and Merle Dandridge as Marlene. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are also featured.
