The Last of Us HBO series won’t go beyond the source material like Game of Thrones

The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann has confirmed the HBO adaptation won’t repeat the mistakes of Game of Thrones by going beyond the source material.

With the first season of The Last of Us on HBO, the 2013 video game was adapted in full. Across nine episodes we experienced the same story with a new lens, albeit, with a number of key changes and additions along the way.

Now with the second game left to adapt, a game considerably larger in scope, we know for certain the next part of the story will take place across multiple seasons. As for what lies beyond that, however, no one knows for certain. Though one thing is clear, the show’s creators want to avoid repeating the mistakes of HBO’s last mainstream hit Game of Thrones.

As the story of Westeros came to life on the silver screen, the seasons eventually overtook the written source material from George R.R. Martin. We all know how this ended.

Looking to avoid that very same circumstance with The Last of Us, series creator Neil Druckmann has alleviated concern in confirming the show won’t advance beyond the games.

“The deal we have only goes up to game two,” Druckmann said on a spoilercast with Kinda Funny. “That’s it. I purposefully wanted things to be that way because I didn’t want to end up in a Game of Thrones situation where now you’re forced to do something you might not feel comfortable with.”

Given the immense scope of the live-action adaptation, it could be a matter of years before the story of the second game wraps up on TV. So admittedly, things may change as the 2020s roll on. But in his current frame of mind, Druckmann doesn’t foresee a future where the HBO series explores new territory not yet covered in the games.

“We’re talking about years from now, and who knows where my mind will be or where Naughty Dog’s mind will be, or [Craig Mazin’s]. So I can’t definitively answer, but right now there’s no plan to do anything beyond adapting the games.”

Neil Druckmann raises the Game of Thrones comparison at the 50:52 mark below.

While it’s all speculation for now, this could mean Naughty Dog’s next project is the long-rumored Last of Us Part 3. We could see the third and potentially final chapter hit store shelves while the second season is playing out on TV, paving the way for future seasons. But only time will tell if that’s indeed the case.