The Last of Us' long-awaited Season 2 finally gets a start date

Episode 1 airing in April.

Almost two years after the acclaimed first season of HBO's live-action The Last of Us adaptation drew to a close, its long-awaited second season finally has a release date - with episode one set to air in the US on Sunday, 13th April.

Season two of The Last of Us picks up the action some five years after the conclusion of season one, and will at least partially cover the events of Naughty Dog's second game. Showrunner Craig Mazin previously confirmed the team would need more than one season to tell The Last of Us Part 2's narrative.

"The story that we're telling is much bigger than the story of season one," he explained at the time. "There's just a lot more going on, it's a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster to be honest with you."

Season two of The Last of Us is set to span seven episodes, including one "quite big" in length, and will usher in a new cast of characters alongside returning favourites. Joel and Ellie are inevitably back (once again played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) and will this time be joined by the likes of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Young Mazino as Jesse, and the legendary Catherine O'Hara in an undisclosed guest role.

The Last of Us' second season - part two of an expected four-season run - airs on HBO Max in the US beginning 13th April. There's no word on international airdates just yet, but Sky Atlantic's ongoing partnership with HBO suggests it'll continue to be the series home in the UK - possibly again airing simultaneously with the US for those that like to remain unsullied by social media.

Season one of The Last of Us was a smash hit for HBO, garnering significant critical acclaim and averaging over 32m viewers an episode in the US. And with eight Emmy nominations under its belt - including an outstanding guest actor gong for Nick Offerman in the role of Bill - expectations are invariably high for season two.