Entertainment

HBO head says ‘The Last of Us’ could start shooting in 2024; ‘White Lotus”, ‘It’ prequel series likely bumped to 2025

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on November 2, 2023

As SAG-AFTRA and studio representatives continue to battle it out, networks are continuing to make moves to deal with the Hollywood strikes’ effects on scheduling.

For HBO, that means the anticipated third season of its Emmy magnet series The White Lotus and its It prequel series Welcome to Derry are likely moving to 2025, according to the network’s head Casey Bloys.

Variety reports the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content made the announcement during a press event in New York on Thursday. “Welcome to Derry, we had had that scheduled for Halloween of 2024. That’s likely 2025,” the trade quoted Bloys as saying. “White Lotus‘ Season 3 probably would have been in play for 2024, it’s 2025 [now].”

He also said the second season of its acclaimed video game adaptation The Last of Us could get underway early in 2024.

The White Lotus proved to be a smash for HBO right out of the gate, snagging an Emmy for Jennifer Coolidge and nine other trophies, including one for Outstanding Limited Series.

Its Italy-set second season earned 23 Emmy nominations, including a second nod for Coolidge.

Variety reports the third season was supposed to take place in another exotic location, Thailand.

While the writers strike ended at the end of September, scribes were unable to work on new scripts until it did, and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike meant no new material could get in the can.

Welcome to Derry had been in production in early 2023 before the SAG-AFTRA strike shut it down in July, the trade notes. The series will star Taylour Paige, James Remar and Madeleine Stowe, among others.