The Last of Us Will Get Its Own TV Series on HBO

While anticipation over the release of The Last of Us 2 grows, HBO and Sony got the name trending on Twitter for a different reason. The network announced that it’s teamed up with the PlayStation parent company to create a new show based on the critically acclaimed game.

For those who haven’t heard of The Last of Us yet, here’s a quick synopsis:

The Last of Us takes a swing at the whole zombie apocalypse trope with a relatively unique premise. At least as unique as anything zombie-related can be these days. The story follows Joel, a hardened smuggler and single father turned guardian as he escorts a girl named Ellie across the US.

She may be humanity’s only hope (of course) as she’s immune to the mutated Cordyceps fungus infection that’s now spreading throughout the country. These scary and cannibalistic humans are only the start of Joel and Ellie’s problems. The pair face bandits, injury, and terrible odds as they make their way across the country to the scientists who are working on a cure.

Here’s everything there is to know about the upcoming show.

Here’s the Lowdown on the New The Last of Us Series

According to HBO, it will be the first PlayStation-exclusive video game turned into a fully-fledged series. And it might be the best one to do that with because many touted The Last of Us as an emotional and cinematic experience. That sounds like a great starting point for a fantastic new series.

Moreover, Naughty Dog’s (the studio behind the game) BAFTA-winning creative director Neil Druckmann is working on the series as well. Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin joins him to develop the story and direction for the show. The pair will serve as writers and executive producers for the upcoming series along with Naughty Dog’s president Evan Wells and HBO’s Carolyn Strauss. The latter has worked on shows like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones.

“Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honoured to do it in partnership with Neil,” said Mazin in a statement about the upcoming show.

The events of the first game, and presumably the upcoming sequel, were written by Druckmann. The show will follow the events of the first game, although they failed to mention how closely. They’ve also said that the show might adopt some of the story elements from the upcoming sequel after its release.

Usually, any series or movies based on games take quite a few creative liberties during the adaptation process. It makes sense, seeing as not every creative or design choice that works in a game would translate well to TV. But so far, movies based on games have been disappointing, to say the least.

Will This Turn the Tide for Video Game Adaptations?

Remember that awful 2016 Assassin’s Creed movie, for instance? Not to mention DOA: Dead or Alive, released back in 2006? Not that the fighter game it’s based on is all that great, to begin with. Although there is some competition here, unfortunately.

TV series has thus far fared better, although the only reason for that is because the great adaptations mostly come in cartoon or anime form. And yes, there is a difference.

The Last of Us has the advantage because its original creators are also involved with the show. Don’t discount how much that can help, as they’ve already invested in the original idea and in seeing this new retelling stay true to their original vision. So, hopefully, there won’t be a repeat of that epic but damning Bethesda burns vis-à-vis the new Doom: Annihilation movie.

The Last of Us: Launching on HBO Soon?

While amped about the series, HBO has neglected to provide any release date. They did mention that it is in development but hasn’t announced the cast yet. So for now, there’s no indication of when the series will start airing.

That said, keep in mind that HBO isn’t available everywhere. So anyone who wants to make sure they can watch The Last of Us as soon as possible, should use a VPN. What is a VPN? They come in the form of an app or software and replace the IP address of the device when turned on. VPN users can choose a server in a country where HBO is available and get to watch the show that way, even if they live in a place like Saudi Arabia, where HBO isn’t available.