The Last of Us on HBO: everything we know so far about the TV series

The Last of Us Television set present is verified to be in development at HBO – and there is a large amount to be excited about.

The Last of Us initially arrived into existence as a 2013 movie sport for PS3, and garnered vital acclaim for its heartfelt portrayal of two persons hoping to survive in a post-apocalyptic environment: protagonist Joel, and the teenage woman Ellie he’s tasked with escorting to a band of rebels known as the Fireflies.

Sure, it is a story with zombies in it – of a sort – but there is a large amount extra to The Last of Us than that, which is why we gave it the quantity a person spot in our roundup of the best games of the decade.

There was the inescapable PS4 remaster, the sequel The Last of Us 2 put in development – lastly supplied a business June 19 release day, just after an unsure postponement – and a large amount of rumors about a film adaptation with director Sam Raimi attached (via IGN). Now, although, developer Naughty Canine is heading down the Television set avenue instead.

That looks like a fantastic point to us: the story of The Last of Us is previously episodic in character, split out throughout several levels, and it would be difficult to cram all the things fantastic about the sport into a person 90-moment dump.

So what do we know so significantly about The Last of Us Television set show’s release day, streaming platforms, story, and forged? Not considerably nevertheless, but we have gathered what smaller nuggets of information and facts we have correct here.

UPDATE: As if we ended up in any doubt of the tone of The Last of Us, we now know that the pilot episode of the remarkably-expected Television set present is heading to be directed by Chernobyl director, Johan Renck.

Slash to the chase

  • What is it? A Television set present primarily based on The Last of Us movie game 
  • Where can I view it? HBO 
  • When can I view it? 2021 if we’re fortunate, but possibly later than that 
  • Who’s in it? No casting is verified, but we know the figures of Joel and Ellie will seem – as well as Marlene, Maria, and Tess

The Last of Us Television set present release day

The Last of Us Television set present has only just been verified as getting in development, so we’re not heading to get a clear concept of a release day for a though nevertheless, other than “coming soon to HBO”. Allow them write the point initially!

Co-writer Craig Mazin has commented on creation, indicating that The Last of Us 2 will want to be tied up in advance of issues get truly underway: “We just cannot begin on it correct absent due to the fact they are even now ending up the 2nd sport. We have been conversing about it for months, minor options and issues. We’re heading to dig in in full, full earnest when they wrap up their final do the job on the sequel. Hopefully extra fascinating information to occur on that entrance ‘cos it is a thing we’re the two determined to see on Television set” (via GamesRadar).

To speculate: we imagine 2020 is significantly much too soon, late 2021 is probable, but 2022 looks extra most likely supplied the awareness and outcomes do the job that HBO will most likely want to give the present. Honestly, be sure to really don’t rush this a person.

The Last of Us: Part II (2020)

The Last of Us: Aspect II (2020) (Picture credit score: Naughty Canine)

Wait, so you will find no The Last of Us film?

No! There’d been chatter about a film adaptation for a fantastic few decades, with the undertaking even reaching a 2nd draft script, and auditions getting held for actors in advance of development stalled.

Again in 2015, Druckmann was cited as indicating he’d “just concluded a 2nd draft, and we did a table read with a bunch of actors,” though calling the script “Really faithful to the sport. There are some big modifications, but the tone and what the story’s hoping to say is really faithful to the sport” (via IGN).

Extra lately, screenwriter Craig Mazin has commented on this, indicating that “My sensation was ‘you just cannot make a film out of this, it has to be a present. It demands length.’ It’s about the development of a partnership above a lengthy journey, so it has to be a tv present – and that’s that, that’s the way I see it” (via GamesRadar).

The Last of Us Television set present: in which can you view it?

The present is getting created for HBO, with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann acting as co-writer alongside screenwriter Craig Mazin, who received an Emmy for remarkable crafting on HBO’s remarkably-praised Chernobyl miniseries that aired final yr. 

We count on it will be – like the six-episode Chernobyl, or nine-episode Watchmen – a miniseries consisting of only handful of episodes, in order to inform a punchy, contained story.

HBO's Chernobyl

Chernobyl (HBO) (Picture credit score: HBO)

It will finish up on HBO Max – the new streaming system getting produced by HBO in May perhaps 2020. Nonetheless, the new streaming services isn’t replacing the current HBO Go and HBO Now companies nevertheless, so we may perhaps see it on extra than a person HBO system.

HBO is a US-unique system, although. If you are in the United kingdom, your best guess is most likely Now Television set, which often carries HBO exhibits these kinds of as Watchmen or Succession – although Sky is also a household for some HBO titles much too. In Australia, you are possibly hunting at Foxtel. We’ll update this site when we’re a little bit closer to the present releasing with extra information and facts on this.

The Last of Us on HBO: how numerous seasons?

There is been no affirmation of how numerous seasons HBO is preparing for the collection, although Joel voice actor Troy Baker has provided a obscure window of “3, four seasons” getting needed to match the story beats of the sport at an acceptable tempo – relatively than constraining the story inside a one two-hour movie (via GameSpot).

“I imagine that episodically you can significantly extra successfully inform this story due to the fact hoping to condense that practical experience of sixteen hours into 2 hours is impossible… it goes previous the issue of distillation, into reduction,” Baker stated. “I imagine getting able to do this episodically and go, ‘We’ll do this for say, 3 or four seasons’ and be able to practically 1:1 inform [ the story of the sport] presents a fantastic chance for extra persons to practical experience this story.”

HBO has designed passing reference to “upcoming seasons” outside of an initial initially year, although any continuations are most likely to be dependent on the accomplishment of year a person.

The Last of Us: Part II (2020)

The Last of Us: Aspect II (2020) (Picture credit score: Naughty Canine)

The Last of Us Television set present: story, forged, and figures

When it comes to the tone of the present, we have a big (but thoroughly expected) clue with the modern announcement that Chernobyl director Johan Renck has been brought on to immediate the pilot episode. 

Renck joins Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin on the undertaking, who is established to co-write and govt produce the collection alongside Neil Druckman, the writer and govt director of the sport itself.

In terms of story, you will find not considerably verified apart from a few base facts for now. We do know that Joel and Ellie will be featuring, so we presume it will act as a thing of a retread of the 2013 sport, relatively than a spin-off. That stated, it is really most likely we will see a combine of new and returning figures as the story is workshopped for the demands of the Television set miniseries.

Sony has hinted at the “chance of additional content primarily based on the forthcoming sport sequel”, but that isn’t going to seem to be like a certainty correct now (via The Hollywood Reporter).

The tweet under exhibits that Neil Druckmann has designed some selections about who is and isn’t really featuring, although.

We know we will be seeing Ellie, for a person – but also the childhood mate (and intimate fascination) Riley, who appeared in the Left Guiding DLC for the initially sport. We won’t spoil how that a person ends, although.

Tess (Joel’s associate of types), Marlene (member of the Fireflies) and Maria (wife of Joel’s more youthful brother) are all other figures from The Last of Us, which give a fantastic perception of some of the story beats that will most likely be recreated from the sport.

The blocked out segment in the tweet suggests a four-letter title, which could be any quantity of figures. Potentially Anna, Ellie’s mother – who is only described via letter in the sport? Or maybe even Dina, if the Television set present jumps ahead to The Last of Us 2’s character list? 

Casting looks a though off, although it is really probable that conversations started out throughout development of the movie – together with talks with Maisie Williams for the part of Ellie – could decide on up in which they still left off.

Ellie’s sexuality could also effortlessly have develop into a resource of rivalry for admirers, supplied the ‘straight-washing’ that so often takes place in display diversifications, but we have it on fantastic authority (screenwriter Craig Mazin) that HBO won’t betray their queer admirers on this a person.

We have also now read – from Neil Druckmann himself – that the composer for the two the primary The Last of Us sport and The Last of Us 2, Gustavo Santaolalla, will be returning to do the job on the HBO present adaptation. So get ready for some tense and tear-jerking soundtracks to accompany the motion.