'The Last of Us' renewed for second season
The Last of Us may not have seen the last of Alberta.
The popular HBO TV show was renewed for a second season, HBO announced Friday on Twitter.
"The journey continues," it tweeted. "#TheLastofUs will return for another season on @HBOMax."
"HBO has renewed The Last of Us for Season 2 faster than a deadly fungus can spread," Variety reporter Joe Otterson wrote.
News of the show's renewal should come as little surprise, as the series has been growing its audience and racking up near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores – 97 per cent - since its debut episode three weeks ago.
Furthermore, the audience for the second episode jumped to 5.7 million last Sunday, a 22 per cent increase over the 4.7 million who tuned in the first night – a figure that has since grown to 22 million with repeated screenings.
The news was retweeted by IATSE212 Calgary (International Alliance of Stage Theatrical Employees) the union that represents the crews that shot The Last of Us in Alberta for over a year.
The series reportedly spent over $100 million in the province, employing hundreds of people, many of whom were in attendance last week at a screening at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.
Could a sequel be in the works?
Too early to tell, said IATSE212's Twitter feed.
"No further details as to where it will shoot have been released at this time, stay tuned!!" they tweeted.
Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly announced that Pedro Pascal, the star of The Last of Us, will host Saturday Night Live Feb. 4.
Pascal also stars in the Disney+ hit The Mandalorian, which returns for a third season March 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.