The Last of Us season 2 trailer breaks HBO viewing records, becoming the network's most-watched trailer

The Last of Us
(Image credit: HBO)

The latest trailer for The Last of Us season 2 has broken records for HBO and Max, proving that hype is at an all-time high for the new installment of the hit show.

The new trailer, which was released this past weekend (March 8) during the show's panel at SXSW, hit 158 million views in its first three days, making it HBO and Max's most-watched trailer during that time period – an increase of 160% on previous trailers for the show, according to HBO.

At SXSW, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann were joined by Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and Gabriel Luna, who played Joel, Ellie, and Tommy in season 1, alongside newcomers Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino, who will take on the roles of Abby, Dina, and Jesse in season 2.

During the panel, Druckmann confirmed that one of season 1's biggest game omissions will finally be introduced in season 2: spores, which the infected release with their breath. "Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air," he explained.

He continued, "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."

The Last of Us season 2 arrives on HBO and Max in the US and Sky and NOW in the UK on April 13. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's biggest new TV shows.

CATEGORIES
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Clicker and Ellie
The Last of Us season 2 trailer brings the heart and the horror back to Joel and Ellie
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us season 2 first look
The Last of Us season 2 release date, cast, plot, trailer, and more news
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
Everyone is obsessed with Kaitlyn Dever's "spot on" Abby in new The Last of Us season 2 trailer
The Last of Us season 2 trailer shows spores
The Last of Us season 2 is bringing in one of the biggest game omissions from season 1 – and the showrunners say it's for a "good reason"
Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us
Fans think they have worked out the exact The Last of Us season 2 release date, and we're convinced
The Last of Us season 2 first look
The Last of Us season 2 release date revealed with new Ellie, Abby, and Joel character posters teasing "every path has a price"
Latest in Sci-Fi Shows
The Last of Us
The Last of Us season 2 trailer breaks HBO viewing records, becoming the network's most-watched trailer
The Mandalorian and Boba Fett
George Lucas' unmade Star Wars show was so expensive and risky that it would have cost $40 million per episode and “blown up the whole Star Wars universe"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy breaks silence on the weird release schedule: "It's a Disney decision"
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us is "better" than 28 Days Later, says movie writer Alex Garland: "This is so much more sophisticated and moving"
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner talks the much-anticipated Star Wars moment that we haven't seen on screen before: "It's a very significant part of our show"
Latest in News
two aliens firing miniguns
4 years after shutting down, this dead sci-fi MMO is being brought back to life, but there's no word on its canceled TV show tie-in
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix wants Daniel Craig to join the cast of Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie – but it's not certain if he'll take it
The Last of Us
The Last of Us season 2 trailer breaks HBO viewing records, becoming the network's most-watched trailer
Nicole Kidman in The Perfect Couple
Nicole Kidman’s hit Netflix show could be returning for another season, but she won’t be coming back
Matt LeBlanc as Joey in Friends
21 years later, the Friends spin-off nobody asked for is streaming for free
Lilo and Stitch
New trailer for Disney’s live action Lilo and Stitch movie pulls a Sonic redesign, finally giving us the Stitch we have been waiting for