Though Ellie is five years older in The Last of Us Part 2, Bella Ramsey isn't going anywhere.
The second season of the hit HBO show will adapt Part 2 of the video game, which features a slightly older Ellie. The actor is now 19, the same age as Ellie in Part 2.
During a press conference attended by Total Film, co-creator Craig Mazin said: "We know what we're going to do. We know what we're going to do in terms of costume and makeup and hair, but more importantly, we also know the soul and spirit of the actor."
"[Season 2] will be different just as this season was different. Sometimes it will be radically different and sometimes it won't be fairly different at all. It won't be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I wanna make, and we are making it with Bella," Mazin continued.
"We are extremely lucky to have Bella," co-creator Neil Druckmann added. "The only way we would ever, ever consider recasting Bella is if they said, 'I don't wanna work with you guys anymore.'"
The Last of Us Part 2 follows Ellie and her journey as a young adult, finding her own identity outside of Joel and her immunity. Part 1 hit shelves in 2016, with Part 2 being newly released in 2020. Fans have already shared their casting ideas for Abby, a new central character (and antagonist) in season 2.
The Last of Us season 1 can now be streamed in its entirety on HBO Max and Sky.
Make sure you're up to date with our The Last of Us release schedule or our breakdown of how many episodes are in The Last of Us. For more from the series, check out our guide to the major Last of Us episode 9 changes from the games and a terrifying look at the Cordyceps fungus.
