There have been several adaptations of post-apocalyptic movies and television shows based on comics and books, such asThe Walking DeadandWorld War Z, but we hardly see any inspired from video games. If you desire a TV show adaptation of a popular horror survival video game,The Last of Usis the one you should be excited about.The Last of Us, released in 2013 on the Playstation 3, is widely regarded as one of the best post-apocalyptic action-adventure games ever created.
HBO Max announced the series' adaption in November 2020, and fans have awaited its debut for two years.The Last of Us, an upcomingpost-apocalyptic dramabased on a video game developed by Naughty Dog, is considered the biggest television production series in Canadian history.
The series is arguably one of the most anticipated television series of 2023, having been filmed in Alberta from July 2021 to June 2022 and starring prominent actors such as Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsay, Gabriel Luna, and many more. While we’re at it, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series.
The Last of Us: The Plot
The Last of Ustakes place twenty years later in a post-apocalyptic world infested with an invasive fungus that has wiped off a substantial part of the world’s population. Joel Miller, the series' protagonist, strives to survive by stealing, smuggling, and engaging in other life-threatening dealings while affiliated with a quarantine zone in Boston — one of the few safe areas under government supervision.
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When persuaded to escort a girl named Ellie to the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group, they find themselves in a series of brutal and heartbreaking situations — all while clinging to the little hope they have left. While the premise may sound very similar to the firstThe Last of Usgame, creator Neil Druckmann revealed in an interview withIGNhow it varies in certain ways from the video game. He stated:
“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. So that’s something that’s been really different, and HBO’s been great in pushing us to move away from hardcore action and focus more on the drama of the character. Some of my favorite episodes so far have deviated greatly from the story, and I can’t wait for people to see them.”
The Last of Us: The Cast & Crew
Fittingly, the series has several well-known actors in the lead roles.Pedro Pascal will portray JoelMiller as the protagonist, while Bella Ramsay will play Ellie Williams, the story’s main driving point. While the former had previously been in famous television shows such asGame of Thrones,The Mandalorian,Narcos, and films likeThe Great WallandWonder Woman 1984, the latter made her professional debut as Lyanna Mormont inGame of Thronesseason 6.
Apart from these two roles, the other cast members include Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller, Nick Offerman as Bill, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Anna Torv as Tess, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and many more. While these characters adequately describe the story, the crew responsible for its creation is equally important.
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Sony Pictures Television, Naughty Dog, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and The Mighty Mint are producing TheLast of Us, which will be released internationally by HBO Max and HBO. Neil Druckmann, who penned the script for the original game as well as other successful video games such as theUnchartedseries, collaborated with Craig Mazin on the script. If the latter’s name seems unfamiliar, he previously worked as awriter forChernobyl,The Huntsman: Winter’s War, and theScary Movieseries. Gustavo Santaolalla, best known for his work onThe Last of Us: Part IIvideo game andMaking a Murderer, composed the music, while Victoria Thomas worked as a casting director for the series.
Release Date
The Last of Uswill be released on July 29, 2025, on HBO max.
Everything Else We Know
Those who have played the video game understand the pressure the team behind its production is under. Both games set records when they were initially released, and now that the series is finally in reach, fans have high hopes for how it will be handled. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Shaun Escayg, who co-created the series as an executive producer, shared his thoughts, saying:
“It’s absolutely a lot of pressure we put on ourselves as a team to approaching arguably one of the greatest games ever made and then trying to make that better. Just the weight of that sat with us and still sits with us today. We feel this intense pressure to do right by the original team that did this work and to elevate the franchise, ‘cause we have a deep love for it, as well.”
The Last of Ushas the potential to be one of the best and also most distinct video game series, based on the teaser and the ideal casting in the lead roles. Hopefully, the series does not stray too far from the original.
