Just days before The Last of Us's second season premiered on Sunday night, HBO announced it had already renewed the post-apocalyptic hit for a third season.
The Emmy-winning drama returned on April 13 with the first of seven new episodes, but fans now have more to look forward to — even if no one knows where the show will shoot next.
Season 2 was filmed primarily in British Columbia, with locations in Kamloops, Mission, Fort Langley and Vancouver. But Alberta remains in the picture: scenes shot in Calgary, Exshaw and along Highway 1A help maintain the franchise’s signature desolate aesthetic.
The lack of detail surrounding Season 3’s production plans has already sparked speculation about whether the show might return to Alberta, where the inaugural season was filmed extensively.
The announcement follows a surge of fan anticipation in the lead-up to the premiere. On March 8, HBO unveiled the Season 2 trailer during a Last of Us panel at SXSW featuring creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, along with cast members Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna and Young Mazino.
Within 72 hours, the trailer racked up 158 million global views — the most-watched HBO or Max Original trailer on record.
Season 1 averaged nearly 32 million cross-platform viewers in the U.S., and Season 2’s campaign tagline — "Every Path Has a Price" — teased the fallout of Joel’s final choice last season.
"It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is," said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of Programming. "We’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season."
"We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of," said series co-creator Craig Mazin. "The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals."
Neil Druckmann, co-creator and executive producer of the series, said bringing the story to life "so beautifully and faithfully" has been a career highlight. "We’re thrilled to bring you more," he said.
Based on the acclaimed video game, Season 2 picks up five years after the first season. Joel and Ellie, once bonded by survival, are now pulled in separate directions as the world around them grows darker and more violent.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return in the lead roles alongside Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley. New cast members include Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced and Jeffrey Wright.
Despite just premiering, the new season is already drawing strong reviews. Variety called it "gorgeous and harrowing," while Collider dubbed it "one of 2025’s best seasons of TV."
But with Season 3 now official, fans — and provincial film offices — are already wondering where the outbreak spreads next.
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