Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.'

Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

You might not think that a show about a cataclysmic infection would be so warmly embraced by audiences still dealing the effects of a huge pandemic, but clearly viewers were ready for ‘The Last of Us’.

Adapted from the bestselling PlayStation game franchise developed by Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog, ‘The Last of Us’ landed on HBO Max a couple of weeks ago. After trending on twitter and scoring huge viewing figures, it has now been renewed for a second season.

‘The Last of Us’ takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a fungal infection that turns humans into vicious, disease-spreading creatures. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Alongside the core duo, the series also stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence.

Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.'

(L to R) Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” says Druckmann in a statement. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” adds Mazin. “The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

While Season 1 dealt with the first game (and some prequel material showing how the infection started and spread), Season 2 seems likely to tackle the follow-up while also exploring avenues of its own. And the series has made some changes to the story and characters that fans have appreciated rather than complaining about them.

Now we have Season 2 to look forward to, though there are no details yet on when it’ll hit screens.

New episodes of ‘The Last of Us’ arrive weekly on Sundays via HBO Max.

HBO Max's 'The Last of Us.'

HBO Max's 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.