‘Last of Us’ Season 2 Casts Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

“The Last of Us” Season 2 has officially cast Kaitlyn Dever, Variety has learned.

Dever joins the hit HBO show in the role of Abby, who is described as “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.”

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella and the rest of our family.”

Dever’s past TV credits include shows like “Last Man Standing,” “Justified,””Unbelievable,” and “Dopesick.” On the film side, she has starred in features such as “Booksmart,” “Rosaline,” “Next Goal Wins,” and “No One Will Save You,” the last of which she also executive produced. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work in “Unbelievable” and a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for “Dopesick.”

She is repped by UTA and Felker Toczek.

“The Last of Us” is based on the hit video game of the same name created by Druckmann and developed by Naughty Dog. The official description states “the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. 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, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”

The cast for Season 1 also included Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker.

The series is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Both have also directed episodes of the show. Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells, president of Naughty Dog, executive produce with PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan as well as Rose Lam. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog produce.

“The Last of Us” proved to be a massive hit with both critics and audiences. In addition to stellar viewership, the show received multiple awards nominations for its first season. It received three Golden Globe nominations as well as 25 Emmy nominations. While the Primetime Emmy Awards are due to take place on Jan. 15, the show has already won eight Emmys at the Creative Arts Emmys. That includes wins for both Offerman and Reid for best guest actor and actress in a drama series respectively.

She's one of the most controversial video game characters of the last five years, and now her role has been cast for season two of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation.

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” said series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in a joint press statement. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella and the rest of our family.”

The Last of Us review – one of the finest TV shows you will see this year

Read more

The Last of Us is a bleak apocalyptic drama, in which the last few humans battle to survive in a world ravaged by a parasitic fungus that transforms victims into cannabalistic monsters. In the first game, and the initial season of the TV show, teenager Ellie discovers she is immune to the infection and accompanied by begrudging guardian Joel must travel across America to a laboratory working on a cure. Both the games and the show have been huge critical and commercial hits.

The Last of Us Part II has also been widely revered, selling 10m copies in its first two years. But the character of Abby was the subject of misogynistic online abuse due to her complex role in the game while her muscular physique drew body-shaming comments on games forums and social media. The actor who played Abby in the game, Laura Bailey, received death threats.

But the reaction to the television series, which was nominated for multiple Emmy awards, has been almost universally positive, and while the casting of Ramsey as Ellie was initially questioned, they proved excellent in the role, building a close, convincing relationship with Joel actor Pedro Pascal.

Production of The Last of Us season two is due to begin in spring, with a premiere expected in 2025.