Naughty Dog's highly-acclaimed action adventure game is reprising as a TV series this January only on HBO
Gamers will have something more to look forward to as a TV Series based on the popular game The Last of Us finally gets the green light! Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin will be writing the upcoming TV adaptation of Naughty Dog's action-adventure game alongside game writer Neil Druckmann, who will also serve as a writer and executive producer. Joining them is longtime HBO producer Carolyn Strauss.
The Last of Us is a mega-hit game series highly-acclaimed for its moving storyline. The first game was released first on PS3 before receiving a full remaster on PS4, where more fans discovered the title. Set 20 years after modern civilization's destruction, The game's storyline follows Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across the post-apocalyptic United States. Soon the players are faced with overwhelming emotions as they try to craft weapons, use stealth and do everything they can to defend and control the characters amidst hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated fungus in the genus Cordyceps.
The much-awaited sequel, The Last of Us Part II, was released in 2020 and is set five years later from the first game. It follows a teenage Ellie, full of hatred and intent to seek revenge. The TV adaptation coming to HBO will be a co-production with Sony Pictures Television in association with PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and game creator Naughty Dog. Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, assures that the adaptation will surely resonate with the game's fans.
“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own,” Francesca Orsi said via Deadline.
“With them at the helm alongside the incomparable Carolyn Strauss, this series is sure to resonate with both die-hard fans of The Last of Us games and newcomers to this genre-defining saga. We’re delighted to partner with Naughty Dog, Word Games, Sony and PlayStation to adapt this epic, powerfully immersive story.”
Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios (SPT), and Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions, expressed their excitement about the upcoming project.
In a joint statement, the two said:
"We’re thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring The Last of Us series to life. PlayStation’s innovative storytelling and ingenuity is a natural complement to SPT’s creative focus. Our collaboration is a great example of our ‘One Sony’ philosophy at work. We look forward to developing even more iconic game IP in the future."
The Last of Us TV show will release on January 15, 2023. Simultaneously, it will release in the UK on January 16, 2023, at 2 am BST, only on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
On November 2, Sky, through a post, announced: "Superfans of The Last of Us will not miss out on the global excitement with each installment available at the same time as the US premiere each week at 2 am and on demand thereafter."
As for the production, CBC shared that The Last of Us TV series saw a production period of 11 months in Calgary.
The Last of Us HBO Cast
— DomTheBomb (@DomTheBombYT) August 21, 2022
Pedro Pascal as Joel
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Nico Parker as Sarah
Nick Offerman as Bill pic.twitter.com/480uAvtpPM
The upcoming TV adaptation has finalized its cast lineup, including some big names from the industry. Pedro Pascal will play Joel; he is reportedly getting paid $600,000 per episode, making him one of the highest-earning American Television stars. He will be joined by Bella Ramsey, who will play Ellie. Other cast members include Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Storm Reid as Riley Abel, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Meanwhile, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, who portrayed Ellie and Joel in the games, will star in unrevealed roles.
Like the original video game, The Last of Us TV series will be set in a post-apocalyptic world, where humans have been infected with a terrifying virus that turns them into savage, zombie-like creatures. There, we meet Joel, who, after a terrible loss, is tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, out of a brutal camp across the United States. Neil Druckmann, a writer involved with the video game and the TV adaptation, shared that the first season will be a representation of the PlayStation title with some changes in the bag.
"Things sometimes stay pretty close, it’s funny to see my dialogue there from the games in HBO scripts. And sometimes they deviate greatly to much better effect because we are dealing with a different medium," he told IGN.
As per Neil's remarks, there will be less action in the series compared to the video game.
Yes, there is. On September 26, HBO dropped an exclusive teaser trailer introducing Joel and Ellie to the world and the adventure that awaits them. You can watch it down below:
Share on Facebook
