Naughty Dog 'Not Finished' With The Last of Us, Yet Studio Has No Role in HBO Series' Third Season

Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog, has clarified that neither he nor the studio are involved in the creative direction of the third season of HBO's adaptation of the beloved video game. However, he emphasized that the developer's journey with the franchise is far from over.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Druckmann stated, "I wasn't involved in shaping this season's creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season. So I can't personally speak to how production is progressing." He then hinted strongly that Naughty Dog will continue to explore future projects within The Last of Us universe, whether that means a full-fledged The Last of Us Part 3, reviving the canceled The Last of Us Online multiplayer, or venturing into other territory. "It's important for us to note that as the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP," he added, referring to the HBO series' upcoming season. "Even though this might be the end of this adaptation, we're not done with The Last of Us. There are a couple of projects in the works that, when the time is right, I'm very excited to talk about."

Currently, Naughty Dog is concentrating on its next title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which was absent from today's Sony State of Play but recently wrapped up its cinematic shooting. The game has yet to receive a release window.

Meanwhile, the HBO series continues to expand its cast with Peter Sarsgaard taking on an original character not seen in the games, and Li Jun Li cast as Miriam, among several other announcements. It was also recently revealed that Matthew McConaughey turned down the role of Joel, which ultimately went to Pedro Pascal.