The Last Of Us season 2 might actually be closer than we think. Last night, the Writers Guild of America, also known as the WGA, announced a tentative deal agreement between the union and AMPTP (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers), marking a potential end to the writers strike that began this spring. The strike, which has lasted for over 140 days, seems to have resulted in an overwhelming victory for writers and behind-the-camera crew workers — as well as a secondary win for fans of TV waiting with bated breath for their favorite shows to return.
Shortly after news of the tentative deal broke, Craig Mazin, who currently serves as showrunner for The Last Of Us, shared an update on Threads regarding the show’s production. “Very proud of the WGA and its membership. The strike has not yet been officially lifted, but the second it is, we will spring into action!" he posted, confirming that TLOU season 2 writers room will resume as soon as the writers and actors strikes officially end.
Related: Answers to Every Burning Question You Have About the 2023 Actors & Writers Strikes
ICYMI: the WGA called its first strike in over a decade on May 1, citing a pay equity crisis due to the fact that streaming services had not been factored into the industry’s pay infrastructure. In an email to guild members on the evening of September 24, the WGA announced the tentative deal with the AMPTP, writing: “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.” Next, the negotiating committee will vote on the finalized contract and whether to send it to WGA leadership for approval, and from there, the guild’s 11,000+ members will be asked to vote to ratify the new deal.
Don't get too eager, though — we can definitely expect the ratification process to take a while. Back in March, before the strikes began, series star Bella Ramsey projected filming for The Last Of Us season 2 to begin at the end of this year or beginning of 2024, leading to a release date in late 2024 or early 2025. We can obviously anticipate a bit of a delay in that timeline, so it's best to remain patient. (But 2025 is still looking promising!)
Season 1 of The Last of Us took the Internet by storm, living up to its coveted Sunday night HBO slot. The show is based on the hit Naughty Dog video game of the same name, and while shows about zombie apocalypses are nothing new, it’s pretty clear why it’s such a common motif in this moment in culture and history. Horror is wont to reflect our collective fears, and the dramatization of a viral infection that takes over the globe definitely feels… familiar, to say the least.