"The Last of Us" Season 2 Trailer Sets New HBO Record With Massive Viewership
The highly-anticipated official trailer for The Last of Us Season 2 premiered at SXSW this past weekend and quickly became a massive success, breaking viewership records for HBO. According to a report by Deadline, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed the trailer accumulated an astounding 158 million views across various platforms in just three days. This remarkable achievement sets a new record for any HBO/Max original series trailer within the same timeframe, outperforming previous trailers for the show itself by at least 160%.
This milestone continues the show's trend of achieving impressive viewership numbers since its debut. Originally, The Last of Us had the second-most-viewed premiere on HBO in the last decade, trailing only House of the Dragon, and it also saw the largest pilot-to-episode-two audience growth ever recorded on the network. The show averaged around 32 million viewers per episode in the United States, nearly four times the same-day audience of its Season 1 finale, which previously set a record with 8.2 million viewers.
The excitement for The Last of Us Season 2 is undeniably strong. Consisting of seven episodes, the second season premieres on April 13 exclusively on HBO Max, concluding with the finale airing on May 25. Season 2 adapts portions of the storyline from the critically acclaimed game The Last of Us Part II, featuring key events from the game's narrative and introducing several significant new characters.
Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the franchise and executive producer on the show, recently shared that Season 2 would feature differences compared to its source material, adding fresh twists for both new viewers and longtime fans of the games. Gamers will also soon have the opportunity to revisit the original story, as The Last of Us Part II Remastered launches for PC on April 3.
As excitement continues to build for the series, Druckmann hinted that a third installment of the game series may not happen, suggesting that his creative energies are currently directed toward Naughty Dog's new upcoming sci-fi IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. However, continued massive success for the show might influence Sony's decision to push for more entries in the beloved game franchise.
Set five years after the finale of Season 1, the second season will continue to follow Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they cope with the emotional aftermath of Joel's choices. Returning cast members include Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Newcomers to the season include Kaitlin Dever portraying Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Tati Gabrielle as Nora (who will also lead Naughty Dog's upcoming video game), and Jeffrey Wright reprising his role as Dixon from the original game.
Are you excited for The Last of Us Season 2? What are you looking forward to seeing most in the adaptation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
