“The Last of Us: ”Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey Are Ready for Their Next Big Adventure in Season 2 First Look

The second season of the hit HBO drama is set to premiere in 2025

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are still surviving the zombie apocalypse in The Last of Us season 2.

On May 15, HBO released new images of Pascal, 49, and Ramsey, 20, in a first look into the highly anticipated second season of the Max series. Playing Joel and Ellie, respectively, the stars will return to the drama alongside Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria.

New cast members include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen and Danny Ramirez as Manny. Catherine O’Hara is also set to make a guest appearance.

The Last of Us, adapted from a 2013 video game of the same name, follows the survivors of a pandemic that has ravaged the world with a fungal disease, turning the infected into zombies. Season 2 of the post-apocalyptic drama is set to premiere on HBO in 2025 and is expected to depict the events of the 2020 sequel The Last of Us Part II.

Related: Everything to Know About The Last of Us Season 2

Season 1 saw Joel attempt to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of an “oppressive quarantine zone,” per the logline. “What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival,” the synopsis reads.

After Pascal won outstanding male actor in a drama series at the 2024 SAG Awards for his work on The Last of Us, he teased an “incredible” follow-up to the hit show in the virtual press room.

“Filming is going amazing,” he told reporters, including PEOPLE. “It’s sort of awe-inspiring, the kind of focus and dedication that everyone has going into season 2.”

He praised creator Craig Mazin and costar Ramsey for their “guide and leadership” at a level he’d “not experienced before.”

“Everybody, our entire crew, they’re working harder than I can even imagine, even harder than our first season — which is close to impossible,” the Game of Thrones alum added.

Related: The Cast of 'The Last Of Us': Everything to Know

The HBO series was renewed for a second installment only two episodes into the first season. Head of HBO Drama Series and Films Francesca Orsi said in a statement that the program’s creators “defined a genre with their masterful debut season.”

“I can't wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with Season 2," Orsi said.

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Season 1 of The Last of Us is streaming on Max.

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