Bella Ramsey has teased that the highly anticipated second series of The Last Of Us is “amped up a level” from its debut season, promising fans more action, more emotion — and a surprising dose of humour.
The 21-year-old actor, who reprises their role as Ellie in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama, spoke at the London premiere of the new series this week. With Pedro Pascal returning as Joel, the show continues to explore the emotional and physical toll of survival in a world devastated by a parasitic fungal infection.
“There’s lots of humour, lots of jokes, although I think that Dina brings a lot of the humour for the season,” Ramsey told the PA news agency, referring to new cast member Isabela Merced. “So it’s a bit of a combo.”
They continued:
“It was pretty smooth sailing. It was hard work, as it always is — and especially this season, it’s amped up a level from season one. So it was tough, long days, but the whole cast and crew just bonded together so well. It made it a really incredible experience.”
Merced, 23, who joins the cast as fan-favourite character Dina, also spoke about the intensity of the new season, saying there are “a lot of extremes” in the narrative, which promises more depth, more danger, and a bigger emotional punch than ever before.
Series co-creator and co-director Craig Mazin, also in attendance at the London premiere, reflected on the broader impact of The Last Of Us on the television industry.
“I think in the last 20 years, the story aspect of gameplay has really been developed,” Mazin said. “And I also think Hollywood has finally woken up to the fact that the game industry is massive, with just the most profoundly deep and broad fandom.
“It’s not just the people they think are fans of video games. So many people play — all ages, all genders.”
He added:
“There are some great properties out there. I think, happily, the fact that our show did well has opened the door for a lot of other shows, and that’s very gratifying.”
The success of the first series — both critically and commercially — has firmly established The Last Of Us as one of the most significant TV adaptations of a video game to date. Ramsey, who first rose to prominence as the fierce Lyanna Mormont in Game Of Thrones, earned an Emmy nomination in 2023 for their performance, ultimately losing out to Succession star Sarah Snook.
More Read
The second series is set five years on from the events of the first, which depicted a bleak future where civilisation has collapsed and the Infected — once humans — roam the remnants of society. It is expected to follow the events of the second video game, The Last of Us Part II, delving deeper into Ellie’s emotional journey and introducing complex new characters and moral dilemmas.
UK audiences won’t have to wait much longer, as the new series is set to premiere on Sky from 14 April. In even more exciting news for fans, HBO has already confirmed a third season, cementing the series’ ongoing legacy.
As the show’s narrative grows more ambitious and its cast of characters expands, The Last Of Us continues to push the boundaries of what a video game adaptation can achieve — not only entertaining global audiences but setting a new gold standard for storytelling in television.
