Neil Druckmann and Another Key Writer Exit The Last of Us Series

Neil Druckmann announced he had decided to step away from further creative involvement in HBO’s The Last of Us series. Druckmann stated that with work on the second season complete and large-scale production on the third not yet underway, he thinks this is the right time for him to fully focus on Naughty Dog and the studio’s upcoming projects.

The director now wants to dedicate more attention to the development of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and continue fulfilling his responsibilities as the studio’s head and creative director.

He called working on the HBO adaptation one of the most significant accomplishments of his career. Druckmann collaborated with Craig Mazin as executive producer, director, and writer on both seasons of the series.

"I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO," Druckmann said. "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."

Wait. That's not the end of the news. 

Halley Gross, another key writer of the show, announced she will also be stepping away from work on the series. In the second season, she wrote scripts for several episodes.

While Druckmann specified his plans, Gross did not reveal her exact agenda. The writer only noted that she is currently working on several promising projects.

In Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog’s upcoming game, Gross plays a role – it is currently unknown whether she is also involved in writing the story.

You can find the full story here. So, remember when the Last of Us Season 2 finale drew 55% fewer viewers compared to Season 1 and how HBO blamed the drop on Memorial Day? Yeah, we totally get it. 

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