The Last of Us is the franchise that keeps giving. After two stellar video game entries, a live-action, queer-inclusive series is heading to HBO next month.
But that might not be all we’ll be hearing from the franchise. According to leaks by prominent video game and movie leaker ViewerAnon, and reported by Insider Gaming, The Last of Us Part III will be Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann’s “next game.”
“If I don’t get a screener link to THE LAST OF US in ten minutes I’m gonna have to drop a scoop. It’s not blackmail, I’d just be too busy watching to tweet,” wrote ViewerAnon on Twitter.
Then they followed it up with the promised tea. “Well, I’m not watching anything, so... Dr. Uckmann’s next game is THE LAST OF US PART III which is currently in production at Naughty Dog.”
“Dr. Uckmann” is referring to Druckmann, whose previous work has included the first The Last of Us game as well as Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise.
Courtesy of Naughty Dog
If true, this title would be the third The Last of Us game that is currently in development at Naughty Dog, the other two being the PC version of The Last of Us Part I and the multiplayer-focused Factions 2, which the developer announced at the 2022 Summer Games Festival.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the first game, which was released in 2013, is set in a dystopian world where a fungus has caused a devastating zombie-esque apocalypse. Ellie, a queer teenager, may hold the key to ending the plague. She’s guided across the country by a man named Joel, who, throughout the game, becomes her surrogate father. It’s an incredibly moving story and a stellar, if terrifying, game.
Courtesy of Naughty Dog
It was followed up by The Last of Us Part II in 2020, which picks up Ellie and Joel’s story and takes a darker (and more overtly queer) turn into a revenge story. While it has proven divisive, the game is another example of incredibly powerful and effective storytelling, and it left the door open for another, final chapter (and hopefully some catharsis).
There’s no word yet on when a third part would be released — after all, it hasn’t even been officially announced — but thankfully between the new HBO series (which premieres on Jan. 15, 2023) and the upcoming Factions 2, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to hang out in Ellie’s world, as dark and emotional as it may be.
Yes! The Last of Us premieres on HBO on January 15, 2023.
The first season is nine episodes long.
The Last of Us is about 15 Hours in length. The Last of Us Part II is about 20 hours.
