The Music of The Last of Us (Season 2) with Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming

June 05, 2025 - 08:00 AM

In this exclusive SoundWorks Collection conversation, we discuss with Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla and Emmy-winning composer David Fleming the emotional and sonic landscape of The Last of Us Season 2. The composers break down how they expanded the show’s haunting, intimate sound world—blending acoustic textures, raw instrumentation, and ambient tension to match the evolving journey of Ellie, Joel, and the world around them.

MOVIE STUDIO

HBO

DIRECTOR

Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann

ORIGINAL MUSIC

Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming

Synopsis

The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set decades after the collapse of society caused by a mass fungal infection transforming its hosts into zombie-like creatures. The first season, based on 2013's The Last of Us, follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they travel across the United States. In the second season, based on the first half of 2020's The Last of Us Part II, they have settled in Jackson, Wyoming, with Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie's friends Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino), who travel to Seattle to track down Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), set to be the focus of the third season.

Original Soundtracks

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