"The Last of Us Season 2 Trailer Shatters HBO Records Prematurely"

The buzz around the upcoming second season of The Last of Us is undeniable, and it's already making waves even before its premiere. The most recent trailer for Season 2, unveiled during a SXSW panel, has shattered records by amassing over 158 million views across various platforms within just three days, as reported by Warner Brothers Discovery. This milestone marks the highest viewership for any HBO and Max original programming trailer to date, surpassing previous show promos by an impressive margin of at least 160%.

You can’t stop this.#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 on Max. pic.twitter.com/DH8UzAugIV

— Max (@StreamOnMax) March 8, 2025

The fervor for the series is palpable among both new and returning fans as they eagerly await the next installment. The first season's episodes are averaging around 32 million viewers across platforms domestically, a significant leap from the 8.2 million same-day viewers that tuned in for the Season 1 finale back in March 2023, according to Deadline. This surge in viewership reflects the immense popularity and anticipation surrounding the show, cementing its status as one of HBO's most successful series in recent times.

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

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Season 2 of The Last of Us will feature a significant five-year time jump, continuing the saga of Joel and Ellie as they navigate a world fraught with escalating dangers and personal conflicts. Returning stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley will be joined by newcomers Kaitlyn Dever, Isabella Merced, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Wright, adding fresh dynamics to the ensemble cast.

At the SXSW panel, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin shared exciting updates about the upcoming season. They confirmed the return of spores, which were notably absent in Season 1. The trailer offered a glimpse of this change, showing Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, encountering an infected whose breath releases the spores. Druckmann elaborated on the evolution of the infected, stating, "There's an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads." He further noted the introduction of new methods of infection spread in Season 2, building on the tendrils seen in Season 1.

Mazin affirmed the spores' return, and Druckmann added that their inclusion was driven by dramatic necessity, explaining, "The reason [we’re doing it now], I mean, we really wanted to figure it out, and again, everything has to be drama. There had to be a dramatic reason of introducing it now. And there is."

Mark your calendars—The Last of Us Season 2 is set to premiere on April 13, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max. The anticipation and excitement surrounding this series continue to grow, promising another thrilling chapter in the journey of Joel and Ellie.