Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has stated that the team are still working on projects based on The Last of Us.
In an interview with The Washington Post (paywall) he states, “We’re not done with The Last Of Us. There’s a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I’m very excited to talk about.”
The game already has a successful TV show based on the series, so it’s unlikely any of the projects will be a movie, and there have already been graphic novels, books, and soundtracks.
Druckmann has flip-flopped over plans for The Last of Us Part 3 several times, swapping from comments suggesting there was a story they had in mind for a third game, to it absolutely not happening.
In July last year it was announced that Neil Druckmann is leaving to focus on his work at Naughty Dog and on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, while the Last of Us Part 2 co-writer Halley Gross is also leaving the writer’s room. In this new interview Neil reveals that Naughty Dog are completely hands off for series 3 of the TV show.
“I wasn’t involved in shaping this season’s creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season,” he said.
At the time of the announcement, Druckmann wrote on social media:
“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.”
Source: The Washington Post (paywall) via Empire
