Is the best video game adaptation of all time about to hit our screens?
HBO’s upcoming The Last Of Us TV series has had us hyped since it was originally announced, although it’s taking far longer to reach our screens than expected.
The network previously announced that the show would air by the end of 2022 – but recently, they’ve said that we can now expect a 2023 premiere, as filming is still underway in Canada.
Updates are being kept tightly under wraps, but until we get the next official announcement, here’s everything we know about The Last Of Us so far.
Who’s In The Cast And Crew?
HBO
The show has a higher pedigree behind it than the usual video game adaptation. Neil Druckmann, the writer of the game series, has co-created this adaptation with Craig Mazin, the man who brought Chernobyl to our screens.
This has attracted a wealth of acclaimed filmmakers to direct episodes. Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole) directs the pilot, while Ali Abbasi (Border) and Jasmila Žbanić (Quo, Vadis, Aida?) helm subsequent episodes.
And with this arthouse talent behind the camera, it’s no surprise they’ve managed to get a top notch cast in place.
Lucasfilm
Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game Of Thrones) lead the cast list as Joel and Ellie, the smuggler and teenage girl who are forced to navigate a post-apocalyptic United States.
The other main cast member will be Gabriel Luna (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D), who will play Joel’s brother Tommy. He was asked to submit an audition tape a month after Pascal and Ramsey’s casting, and was signed up to star shortly afterwards.
Recurring characters in the show will include Marlene and Perry, both of whom are played by actors carried over from the games.
Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) will be reprising her role as Marlene, while Jeffrey Pierce will be stepping into the role of Perry after previously voicing Tommy in the game series.
Tess, Joel’s smuggler partner, will also appear, here played by Anna Torv (Mindhunter).
Several guest roles have been cast throughout the series too. Nico Parker, daughter of Thandiwe Newton and star of 2019’s live action Dumbo, will appear as Joel’s daughter Sarah.
Naughty Dog
Nick Offerman (Parks And Recreation) and Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) will appear as survivalists Bill and Frank. The latter character is a beefed-up role, as Frank has no dialogue in the games.
Finally, Storm Reid (Euphoria) is announced as appearing in the eighth episode of the ten episode season playing Riley Abel. The Bostonian character initially only appeared in a downloadable content pack for the first game.
What’s The Story?
Naughty Dog
The first season is rumoured to faithfully follow the story of the games, although in a BBC interview in 2020, Mazin said there will be changes from the source material.
He explained his aim with the show was to “fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance”.
It’s not yet known whether this first season will cover all of the events of the first game then, as it aims to further flesh out the story.
Naughty Dog
The synopsis offered by HBO doesn’t give us any further hints here either, stating simply: “The story takes place 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
“What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”
We’ll update this with more information when we have it.
