The Last of Us Episode 2 Is Directed by the Video Game’s Co-Creator

The second episode of The Last of Us on HBO was directed by the video game’s own co-creator. The Last of Us is one of the most beloved video games of all-time and that’s thanks to the very talented team at Naughty Dog. A lot of incredibly smart people worked together to bring this story to life and while some key people led the charge, it was a team effort by all accounts. However, the core story is the brainchild of a man by the name of Neil Druckmann. He has worked closely with various writers and co-directors on the series, but he is often credited as the one steering the narrative. 

When the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us was announced, many were relieved to hear Neil Druckmann was involved as both a producer and a writer on the series. It’s rather rare that game adaptations actually bring someone from the games to do more than just some very basic consulting. As it turns out, Druckmann didn’t just write and produce, though. He directed an episode! The second episode of The Last of Us is directed by Neil Druckmann and marks his debut as a live-action director. 

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Whether or not Neil Druckmann will be directing any future episodes remains to be seen, but there is hope for a second season of the show which would likely be adapt the second game. Of course, the second game is already fairly controversial, so it’ll be interesting to see if Druckmann wants to step back into the director’s chair for the second season. It’s worth noting that Druckmann is also helping lead the charge on some games at Naughty Dog right now, so his hands may be tied for the foreseeable future.

The Last of Us airs every Sunday night at 9PM ET on HBO. What do you think of Neil Druckmann’s live-action directorial debut? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder. 

For more Last of Us content, check out ComicBook and Entertainment Tonight’s new podcast: The Last of Pods. The podcast will include breakdowns of each episode, interviews with special guests from the show, and more. The podcast will release after every episode of the show on Sunday nights.