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The Last of Us S02 Casting On Hold; Auditions Used "Part II" Scenes

Reports are the writers' strike shut down HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 casting & actors used "Part II" video game scenes to audition prior.

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During this past weekend's MTV Movie and TV Awards 2023, Pedro Pascal (Joel) virtually accepted three awards on behalf of co-star Bella Ramsey and series creators Neil Druckmann & Craig Mazin for their collective work on HBO's The Last of Us. And during one of his speeches, Pascal took a special moment to express their support for the show's writers, the WGA, and its strike efforts against the AMPTP. Now, we're learning how the WGA/AMPTP strike is reportedly impacting casting & pre-production work on the second season, which is looking to start production in early 2024. According to a report from Variety, "an individual with knowledge of the production" claims that casting for the second season has been put on hold as of the beginning of this week. But it's what was going on prior to this week that offers more insight into the importance of having writers available throughout the production process. According to multiple sources, actors auditioning for roles have been asked to read lines directly from The Last of Us Part II video game since Season 2 scripts weren't available to work from.

The Last of Us: Season 1 Finale Review: Joel's Epic Moment of Truth
Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Image courtesy of Liane Hentscher/HBO

The Last of Us: Pascal, Ramsey & Mazin on Season 2 & "Part II"

During a profile of the actor posted by Esquire, Pascal, co-star Ramsey, and Mazin shared their thoughts on what's about to happen to be a foregone conclusion and if they're ready for it. From this point forward, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer – you've been warned!

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Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Image courtesy of Liane Hentscher/HBO

Okay, without going into some "super-spoiler' territory, let's just say that Joel isn't a major living & breathing factor in The Last of Us Part II – which would lend viewers to have a ten-ton hint when it comes to Pascal's fate in the second season. But when we're talking about a series that isn't afraid to stray from/add to the source material, could there be "other options" available? If there are, Mazin isn't sharing them. "This should be fairly obvious to anyone by now, but I don't fear killing characters," Mazin shared. "But the important thing to note is that neither Neil [Druckmann] nor I feel constrained by the source material." Pascal is aware of that moment – and if that's the way it plays out, then that's how it should play out. "It wouldn't make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path," Pascal explained. "So, yeah, that's my honest answer." If that moment does happen? "If that does take place in the show, I don't know that I'm emotionally ready for it," Ramsey added.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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