Washington [US], April 10 (ANI): HBO has renewed 'The Last of Us' for a third season, ahead of the highly anticipated season 2 premiere.

The announcement comes as the show continues to break viewership records, with the first season reportedly averaging over 30 million viewers and the premiere episode drawing in 4.7 million same-day viewers.

HBO shared the news with the 'The Last of Us' fans on its official social media handle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIO0EGHsQjo/

The post was captioned as, 'It can't be for nothing. Season 3 is coming. #TheLastOfUs,'

As per Deadline, creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin expressed their gratitude to HBO and the fans for their enthusiastic support.

'To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me,' Druckmann said in a statement as quoted by Deadline.

Mazin added, 'We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals.'

Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, praised the show's creators and cast, saying, 'It can't be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is.'

The upcoming season 2 will consist of seven episodes and pick up five years after the events of the first season. Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

The season will feature returning cast members Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, and Rutina Wesley, as well as new additions Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Jeffrey Wright. (ANI)