The Last of Us TV show will make your next playthrough of the games even "richer"

The Last of Us
(Image credit: HBO)

The Last of Us TV show co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have spoken about how those coming from the games will react to the upcoming HBO series – including why it will make your next playthrough even "richer."

Speaking at CCXP (via Hyper Omelete), Mazin suggested that devoted fans of the source material will be surprised by what’s to come.

"I have played The Last of Us about 12 times. I know how it ends. I love the journey. And we promise there will be surprises along the way. If you've played the game, I promise you there are things that you don't know that are coming that will blow your mind," Mazin said (H/T Screen Rant).

Druckmann also added that there are moments in the show that they "didn't get a chance" to add the game. Excitingly, the knock-on effect for those going back to play Naughty Dog’s PlayStation classics after watching the show will be profound.

"We’ve now talked to people who have watched the entire season and went back and played the game, and they said the game is now richer having watched the show," Druckmann teased.

A new trailer for The Last of Us series, which included several callbacks to the games, also premiered over the weekend. The show, starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsay as Ellie, is all set to premiere on HBO on January 15, 2023 and Sky on January 16, 2023. For more on what’s heading to our screens next year, check out our guide to new TV shows.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
The Last of Us season 2 first look
The Last of Us season 2 will tell "a different version" of the story, but Neil Druckmann loves the changes they've made: "Its DNA is in there"
Pedro Pascal as Joel in HBO's The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann says The Last of Us season 2 will incorporate "pretty brutal" deleted material from The Last of Us 2: "I'm very excited for people to see it"
The Last of Us season 2 first look
HBO teases how many seasons The Last of Us will run for – and it's more than we expected
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
I'm really hopeful that The Last of Us season 2 flips a key part of the game's story – and I think the new trailer just confirmed it
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
Latest in Action Shows
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel fans think that Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 just referenced Spider-Man's Miles Morales – but a key detail might have already debunked the theory
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again fans are reeling at episode 3's "brutal" ending: "It made me gasp in shock"
Daredevil's mask in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again's end credits just paid a perfect tribute to episode 3's slain character
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
The Punisher holding two machine guns in the rain
Daredevil: Born Again - Learn the bullet-riddled comic book history of the Punisher before he officially joins the MCU
Daredevil: Born Again
Who killed [SPOILER] in Daredevil: Born Again episode 3?
Latest in News
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's New Thunderbolts* comic steals the MCU's asterisk, and the reason why is just as big of a mystery
Pokemon Go players brace for the worst as Niantic is sold off for $3.5 billion: "This game is entering its death knell"
Stamp PSP
A 16-year-old pitch for a newly discovered first-party PSP game has me mourning the death of PlayStation's Japan Studio all over again
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"