Neil Druckmann to no longer be the showrunner of HBO’s The Last of Us series

Neil Druckmann is no longer the showrunner of HBO's The Last of Us series. News of his departure comes before the third season of the show. Druckmann, co-creator of both the video game and the TV adaptation, has stepped aside from his creative role to attend to his work at Naughty Dog, the development studio for the game. He will remain credited as co-creator and executive producer of the show.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Craig Mazin will remain the only showrunner going forward. Druckmann's departure comes after completing work on the second season, which was based on content from The Last of Us Part II. The move will affect creative leadership but not the future of the show. HBO already has a third season planned.

Neil Druckmann's work in The Last of Us

Neil Druckmann had a pivotal role in creating the initial The Last of Us video games. He was the writer and creative director of the first game and co-writer for the second. Druckmann was brought in when HBO started adapting the franchise to become co-showrunner with Mazin. He worked on writing, directing, and producing for the first two seasons.

The TV series, which premiered in January 2023, closely adhered to the story of the original game. As Deadline reports, Druckmann's involvement ensured that the series remained faithful to its source. His collaboration with Mazin translated the game's world and characters onto the screen with few alterations to major storylines.

Why Neil Druckmann is stepping back

Druckmann has announced that he is moving on to concentrate on other things at Naughty Dog. Officially, he explained that this was the "right time" to make the transition, given that the second season is finished and the third season remains in production.

Druckmann said in a statement,

"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."

He continued,

"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. I look forward to HBO and PlayStation Productions continuing Ellie and Abby's story next season."

He also had praise for the cast, crew, and HBO staff behind the show.

The future of the HBO series

Craig Mazin will now be the sole showrunner for the third season. Mazin is known for creating HBO’s Chernobyl and has worked on the series since the beginning. According to EW, he will continue leading the adaptation of The Last of Us Part II, which focuses on Ellie and Abby.

Though Druckmann will not be a part of everyday production, his name as co-creator and executive producer will stay intact. HBO assured that the show will go on with its adaptation plans and keep moving in the same direction that was set in the initial two seasons.

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Watch the two seasons of this series on Max.

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