Neil Druckmann, known for being a co-creator and director of the original Naughty Dog The Last of Us video games, is set to step back from HBO’s live-action series adaptation.
As per sources via Deadline, Druckmann will not be writing or directing any episodes of the show’s upcoming Season 3, following a divided response to Season 2.
However, he will continue to serve as a co-creator and executive producer, but will no longer be serving as a creative lead in the series.
In an official statement, Druckmann said: “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,” he added.
“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 of the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and their continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”
He concluded by sharing how he is eager to see “HBO and PlayStation Productions continuing Ellie and Abby’s story next season.”
It’s currently unclear if Druckmann’s exit will lead to the story going in another direction or if it will continue to adapt the game version scene-by-scene.
The Last of Us Season 2 has been hit with a very divided response, with its current audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at a rotten 37% rating.
Season 3 is set to tell the story from Abby’s perspective, played by Kaitlyn Dever, as opposed to Bella Ramsey’s Ellie (similar to the game).
In addition to this, a fourth season has already been said to be required to tell the whole story, with potential for more depending on where the story goes.
The only thing the show needs to keep breathing is viewership.
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