The Last of Us showrunners on why Bella Ramsey is irreplaceable as Ellie

There have been several iconic characters in the history of television shows, but none have managed to steal the screen as swiftly and in a very short time as Game of Thrones’ Oberyn Martell and Lady Lyanna Mormont. The duo who played the roles, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, are now ruling television with their new show The Last of Us, where they play the leads, Joel and Ellie. While a few of the fans had an issue with Bella continuing to play Ellie in Season 2, showrunner Craig Mazin thinks she’s/they’re irreplaceable.

Why is Bella Ramsey so important to The Last of Us?

Right after the Season 1 finale of The Last of Us aired, showrunner Mazin said this in a press conference:

“One of the things about the casting process that’s tough is that we invite people to join us on this process and we know everything [about the secrets of the production] and nobody else knows anything except what they know, which is the game.”

“We know what we’re gonna do in terms of costume and makeup and hair but more importantly, we also know the spirit and soul of the actor. It’s tough as a kind of a parent of an actor because you become kind of a surrogate father on set, especially to someone who joined us when she was 17. She’s only 19 now, which by the way, is the age of Ellie in the ‘Last of Us: Part II.’”

“We are extremely lucky to have Bella…and the only way we would ever consider recasting Bella is if she said, ‘I don’t want to work with you guys anymore,‘” co-creator Neil Druckmann added. “And even then we’re not sure we would grant her that. We might force her to come back this season.”

When will The Last of Us Season 2 arrive?

On her latest visit to The Jonathan Ross Show, Bella Ramsey talked about the approximate release date of Season 2 of The Last of Us. She/they said, “It will be a while. I think we’ll probably shoot at the end of this year, beginning of next. So it’ll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025.”

In a recent interview with Collider, Pascal said, “In the year 2023? Oh, what season are we in now? We’re getting into spring? Yes, there is a chance. Yes.” The first season of The Last of Us took around 18 months to film. So, looking at the time gap, there’s a high probability that the second season won’t be here until 2025.

How much time will it take to film The Last of Us Season 2?

The Last of Us showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann recently chatted with GQ Magazine after the finale of Season 1 aired on Sunday and talked about the upcoming season and the cliffhanger finale. They hinted that the second season was going to take at least two years to film, with Mazin teasing the fans saying, “I’m okay with that. That’s the anger of desire and anticipation.”

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