The Last of Us season 2 and all the hit HBO shows not coming in 2024

We’re closing in on the end of the year and, as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, networks and streaming platforms are beginning to roll out updates on their upcoming series and whether or not they’re going to make a 2024 release window. Among those making announcements are HBO and its streaming arm, Max.

While there’s plenty coming like House of the Dragon season 2, Sex Lives of College Girls season 3, Hacks season 3, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School and more, there are also series missing from the 2024 slate that fans have been been waiting for with the hopes they’ll make their debut next year. Unfortunately, for Euphoria season 3, The Last of Us season 2, Welcome to Derry, and The White Lotus season 3 that won’t be the case.

Here’s what we know.

HBO shows not coming in 2024

Euphoria season 3

The Euphoria fandom was braced for a 2025 release date for the Zendaya-led ensemble series, but it’s now been confirmed that we’re years off from reuniting with Rue and the rest of her friends. The plot of the third season has been kept under wraps. What we do know, however, is that series creator Sam Levinson has envisioned season 3 as a film noir.

Stylistically, this isn’t outside of the show’s wheelhouse considering the overall season arc will be told through Rue’s eyes. The teen has a penchant for dipping in and out of detective-like story beats where she’s explaining her world to viewers with various “exhibits” projected onto the boards in her classrooms. Levinson said he’s interested in exploring “what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.”

The season 2 finale depicted Rue in a good place. She’d gotten clean, for real this time, and she’d ended her deeply romantic but less than healthy relationship with Jules as well as her friendship with Elliot. Rue will be discovering who she is in the world when she isn’t looking to get high to escape it which is certain to be a compelling journey for viewers.

Cast exits for season 3 include Barbie Ferreira as Kat and, likely, Javon “Wanna” Walton as Ashtray. Tragically, Angus Cloud passed in July 2023. How Fez’s absence in season 3 will be handled, due to the actor’s death, is still unknown.

The Last of Us season 2

While The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal did mention earlier in the year that production on season 2 could get underway by the end of 2023, that was before the WGA and then SAG-AFTRA went on strike. The writers strike is over but the actors strike is ongoing. Still, a start to filming has been established. The show’s second season is slated to head into production in early 2024.

While it’s not confirmed that the series will miss a 2024 release window entirely, don’t count on it coming next year. It’s been left off the schedule and it’s a program that heavily features visual effects which will impact post-production. The earliest we’re likely to be reunited with Joel and Ellie is in 2025.

When we do meet up with them again in The Last of Us season 2, it’s likely five years will have passed in-show since the season 1 finale. This information is based on the game that the second season is adapted from and is subject to change, but Ellie and Joel will have settled in Jackson by then. Their peace and stability, however, will be disrupted by a violent event that’s the result of Joel’s choices in the season 1 finale when he killed the Fireflies and the doctor in the hospital who wanted to sacrifice Ellie for the greater good. He lied to Ellie to cover up the massacre and, though she had a feeling he wasn’t telling the truth, she went along with what he told her.

When their lives are turned upside down, Ellie goes on a journey of her own as she seeks justice and closure while hunting the people responsible.

Welcome to Derry

At the start of the WGA strike, Welcome to Derry had continued to film. Production got underway in Toronto, Canada in early May. By the time filming had to pause due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, it was July so some of the series was in the can.

However, despite this, longtime fans of Stephen King’s It won’t be getting to enjoy the show come 2024. The prequel series is now slated for a 2025 release. Deadline reports Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content Casey Bloys had the following to say: “We had had [Welcome To Derry] scheduled for Halloween ’24 but it will likely be pushing into ’25.”

The move likely has to do with the impact the strikes have had on the network and streaming platform’s line-ups. Their 2024 schedule is packed and they’ll need to retain momentum by not putting all their eggs in one basket for the year.

Production can’t resume on Welcome to Derry until the actors strike comes to a close. Plot details have been kept under wraps but viewers can expect the show to take place in the ’60s and follow the origins of Pennywise.

White Lotus season 3

Rounding out this list of heavy hitters that won’t be premiering until 2025 is White Lotus season 3. Few details are known about the third season of the anthology series aside from it being set in Thailand and the show’s creator, Mike White, discussing what it will potentially be about:

"“The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex. I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”"

As Hidden Remote previously reported

, Jennifer Coolidge isn’t expected to be in season 3 as her character died in season 2. However, Natasha Rothwell will be returning. We’ll keep you posted as more news comes in.