Neil Druckmann and Writer Halley Gross Leave THE LAST OF US Series

Neil Druckmann has announced he will be exiting the HBO series "The Last of Us". Druckmann will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the series.

In a statement posted on Naught Dog's official Instagram account he said the following: "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, 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 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."

"The Last of Us Part II" co-writer Halley Gross also announced she will no longer be working on the HBO series. Gross worked as an executive producer and writer on the HBO series. The announcement was made, once again, via Instagram: "I'm so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing. The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise. I have some truly rad projects ahead that I can't wait to share, but for now, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who brought Ellie and Joel's world to life with such care."

Druckmann created both "The Last of Us" video games, which were developed by Naughty Dog. He also co-created the HBO series with Craig Mazin ("Chernobyl"). The first season of "The Last of Us" debuted in 2023 to general acclaim and record viewership, earning 24 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Unfortunately, Season 2 experienced a significant drop in both viewership and audience scores, which continued to decline throughout the season. HBO already renewed the show for a third season in April.

Mazin also released a statement saying: "It's been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn't have asked for a more generous creative partner. As a true fan of Naughty Dog and Neil's work in video games, I'm beyond excited to play his next game. While he focuses on that, I'll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect. We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we're just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in."

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