Neil Druckmann, who co-created and directed video games The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II is exiting the TV series adaptation ahead of its third season.
Druckmann will not write or direct any Season 3 episodes. He will continue to serve as a co-creator and executive producer.
The game’s creator made the announcement on X via video game developer Naughty Dog.
“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,” Druckmann said in a statement. “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.”
The statement continues, “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.”
Craig Mazin, Druckmann’s creative partner over the first two seasons, will now serve as the sole showrunner and lead writer for the series.
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