Bella Ramsey has earned rave reviews for her performance as Ellie in HBO's live-action adaption of the video game The Last of Us. With season one now officially over, there have been questions about Ramsey's future in the series.
Will she be recast? Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann and series showrunner Craig Mazin have given their two centers on the matter.
Bella Ramsey's Future as Ellie in 'The Last of Us'
Bella Ramsey is still in the plans of the showrunners for "The Last of Us" as attention now focuses on season two of the hit show.
According to Druckmann, who is an executive producer of the show, they feel "extremely lucky" to have Ramsey in the show, per a report by IGN. Druckmann confirmed that he and Mazin definitely plan on pushing through with season two with the actress.
"The only way we would ever, ever consider recasting Bella is if she said, 'I don't want to work with you guys anymore.'" Druckmann said during a press conference prior to the season one finale. "Even then, I'm not sure we would grant her that. We might still force her to come back to Season 2."
Why was There Discussion About Ramsey's Involvement in Season 2?
The Last of Us video game, which is the basis of the HBO series, has a sequel, which is The Last of Us Part II. It goes without saying that the second season of the series will be based on the events of the sequel game. Polygon predicts that season two will not be released until 2025 or even later.
It has been noted that the events of The Last of Us Part II takes place five years after the events of the first game. This means that Ellie is five years older in the sequel, leading to questions about whether or not Bella Ramsey will be recast to accommodate the change in age.
However, Mazin pointed out in the same press conference that the actress is, as of writing 19 years old. This is Ellie's age in The Last of Us Part II.
The Last of Us Part II
Released in 2020, The Last of Us Part II is regarded one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games. A recipient of multiple Game of the Year awards, the action-adventure video game features Ellie as a playable character, along with a character named Abby, who is a miltia soldier. Joel is likewise still part of the sequel but will not feature as prominently as the first game.
Why? Well, let's keep this article spoiler-free. However, for fans of the series who have yet to play the video game, here's a trailer of the sequel to give you an idea of what to expect when season two of the HBO series rolls along.
