After two seasons, The Last of Us series director Neil Druckmann is stepping down from his role as a showrunner on the HBO adaptation.
News of Druckmann’s departure was first reported on by The Ankler, with Druckmann releasing a statement on Naughty Dog’s social channels shortly after saying he is leaving the show in the hands of showrunner Craig Mazin for its remaining seasons, which will continue to adapt the story of The Last of Us Part II. His full statement reads as follows:
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.
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.
Naughty Dog announced Intergalactic at The Game Awards last year, and the PS5 action game marks the studio’s first new IP since the original Last of Us launched in 2013. Maybe Druckmann just wants a break after a decade of working in Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic world, but after what I considered a disastrous season two for The Last of Us, I’m not looking forward to a season written and run entirely by Mazin. Season three will follow Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and given that the show’s characterization of her has already been divisive on episodes Mazin has written, I’m more nervous than ever to see how the show handles her when she’s the star.
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