HBO has shared the highly-anticipated first trailer for season 2 of their thriller The Last of Us, and fans of the original game series will notice the return of an important song: “Future Days” by Pearl Jam. The Lightning Bolt cut was featured prominently in the sequel game The Last of Us Part II to underscore the relationship between Joel (played by Pedro Pascal in the television series) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).
In the trailer, we see memories of Joel teaching Ellie guitar while we hear the strings being plucked in a haunting edit of “Future Days.” Eddie Vedder’s vocals have also been distorted to give the song the feel of playing through an old radio, perfect for a post-apocalyptic setting.
The official description of the trailer reads: “After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”
The game’s writer-director Neil Druckmann had to work hard to get the song included in the original project. After several months of effort, Druckmann managed to get in contact with the band’s manager, and made his case for the song’s inclusion. He told GQ: “I pitch [Pearl Jam’s manager] the whole story, and why this song is important and how… you’ll hear this song several times throughout.” The game’s studio Naughty Dog, even sent the Pearl Jam team PS4 and a copy of the original game, plus the trailer for Part II, which even Sony hadn’t seen. Druckmann was ready to make a last-ditch effort and fly to Seattle to talk to Vedder himself when he got the news that the band had approved the song’s licensing.
The Last of Us’ debut season in 2023 was HBO’s most-watched first season ever. That season was nominated for eight Emmys, including best drama series. The new season will debut sometime next year.