“The Last of Us” season 2 teaser confirms April premiere, glimpses key game scenes

Joel and Ellie will ride again this spring. HBO's 8-time Emmy-winning and 24-time Emmy-nominated The Last of Us will return for season 2 this April, video game co-creator and series showrunner Neil Druckmann revealed Monday during a presser at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas.

Druckmann writes and executive produces The Last of Us series with Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). The news came alongside a new teaser, which gives a glimpse of key sequences from the game recreated in live-action.

"It doesn't matter if you have a code like me," Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, No One Will Save You) says in her debut as Abby, a mysterious but quite pivotal (and controversial) character to the events that transpire. "There are just some things everyone agrees are just wrong."

Related: The Last of Us season 2 drops first look at Kaitlyn Dever's Abby in intense trailer

The drama, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, will begin to adapt the events of 2020's The Last of Us Part II, which picks up a few years later where Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey) are now living comfortably in the Jackson commune with Joel's brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna), and Tommy's wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley). When a traumatic event leaves the community in shambles, Ellie sets out on a mission to bring those responsible to justice.

Those who enjoyed playing the second installment of the video game for the past few years know full well the story shockers to come, which contribute to the fan hype around season 2. They'll recognize some of the key sequences glimpsed in the new teaser. Those include Abby walking down a hallway towards the red light of the exit sign, with a Firefly pendant dangling from her neck and the alarms blaring; a certain someone grabbing a sickle in the woods and dragging the blade towards their restrained target; Ramsey's Ellie slow dancing with a girl, Isabela Merced (Superman, Alien: Romulus) as Dina, a love interest in Jackson; Ellie and Dina fighting for survival in an abandoned subway train; and the solo shot later of Ellie, gun raised, walking towards the camera while shrouded in the glow of emergency signs.

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There's also awards buzz around the show. The first season earned acting nominations for Pascal and Ramsey, as well as guest stars Anna Torv, Melanie Lynskey, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Montreal Woodard, and Murray Bartlett. Meanwhile, guest stars Nick Offerman and Storm Reid walked away on Emmys night with wins in their respective categories.

Related: The Last of Us season 2 first footage reveals Catherine O’Hara’s character, first look at Jeffrey Wright reprising game role

The season 2 cast will introduce members of Abby's crew of survivors: Owen (Spencer Lord), Mel (Ariela Barer), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and Manny (Danny Ramirez).

In addition to Merced's Dina, others entering Joel and Ellie's orbit in the Jackson commune are Young Mazino (Beef) as Jesse, Ellie's close friend and Dina's ex; and Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) guest starring as Joel's therapist, who appears to help him unpack the trauma of what he endured in season 1.

Friend of HBO Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) will also appear as the same character he portrayed in the Part II video game, Isaac, described as "the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy."

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