The Last of Us Season 2 Update: Bella Ramsey Reveals Why Ellie Acts Cold Towards Joel And Upcoming Big Changes

Bella Ramsey, star of HBO’s The Last of Us, says fans will see a noticeable shift in Ellie’s personality and relationship with Joel in Season 2.

Speaking at Deadline’s Contenders TV event, Ramsey said, “In Season 2, I wanted to feel her heaviness a bit more. I think she’s a little harder, she’s a bit more like Joel… but also she’s still the same person, like she still has the same sense of humor.”

Season 2 is set five years after the events of the first season, with Ellie and Joel now living in the fortified town of Jackson, Wyoming. The story picks up from The Last of Us Part II video game, which creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed is too large to cover in one season.

Ramsey confirmed that the lie Joel told Ellie at the end of Season 1 still affects their relationship deeply. “There’s definitely some doubt that Ellie has about that lie that Joel told her at the end of Season 1, so I think that plays a big part in the shift in the relationship,” she said.

“It’s really difficult playing being cold to him…it’s sadder for sure. And it will continue to just get sadder and more cold…so look forward to that.”

A teaser trailer showed Ellie telling Joel, “You swore,” a moment that hints at emotional distance and tension between the two in Season 2.

Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann talked about the challenges of adapting Part II of the game for the screen, stating that the story’s scope and scale required planning multiple seasons. Druckmann stated that while the first game fit into one season, Part II was too large to cover in a single run, so they had to think ahead about how the full story would unfold over time.

They also confirmed the introduction of new characters, including Eugene, played by Joe Pantoliano, who was only mentioned in the game, and Catherine O’Hara, who joins the cast as Joel’s therapist.

Druckmann said he was happy with the changes made for the series and described it as a different version of the same story, with its core still intact. He added that he was curious to see how viewers would react.

Craig Mazin mentioned that the series would likely need one or two more seasons to complete the story. He stated that the production was becoming more challenging as each episode grew in scale and complexity. He added that they didn’t want fans to wait several years for a long 17-episode conclusion.

Season 2 is scheduled to premiere on HBO and Max in April 2025. In addition to Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the upcoming season will feature an expanded cast, including Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, and several other new characters.

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