The Last of Us HBO TV series: Everything we know so far

Naughty Dog’s classic is coming to the small screen.

So far, only a synopsis has been officially revealed by HBO: “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.”

As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter in early March, the series will “cover the events of the original game… with the possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel [ The Last of Us 2].”

A separate report from the publication indicates that “future seasons” are a possibility, meaning this is unlikely to be a Chernobyl-style miniseries but instead one that will stretch out over several years. The mention of sequel story beats also making their way into the HBO series should also whet the appetite of many with the game due out shortly.

Co-creator Craig Mazin has also hinted that The Last of Us HBO series may be a more definitive version of the game’s story, telling the BBC, “In this case, I’m doing it with [Neil Druckmann], and so the changes that we’re making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance.” In the same interview, he added that the TV series will include a moment not in the games that will make our jaws drop.

So, how do you adapt one of the most beloved games of all time? Carefully, probably.

The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann has briefly touched upon the challenges of bringing the game’s story across to HBO in an interview with EW.

“You have to figure out [with a TV show] how it communicates ideas or tells stories. In removing the interactivity of the story, how do you make it unique for this other medium? It’s an interesting challenge, and I think there’s a lot to learn from it... Craig [Mazin] had ideas about how to adapt the show, it became intriguing to work with another creative who I admire. It just became a nobrainer - and to do it under the umbrella of HBO and all their

In this case, I’m doing it with [Neil Druck mann], and so the changes that we’re making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance.

content.” Troy Baker, who plays Joel in both The Last of Us and its sequel, has full faith in the story adaptation versus the original plans to turn it into a movie.

“The thing that encourages me most [about the HBO show] is that while there were a lot of people in Hollywood that stood up and took notice [of The Last of Us and its success] and were thinking, ‘Oh, a lot of people like this - we should turn it into a movie’, Craig [Mazin] came at it from a fan’s perspective,” Baker told Fandom in a recent interview. “He just wants everybody to know this experience”.

Several of the game’s community have even made their case for The Last of Us HBO cast members in the absence of official announcements at this early stage. Among the fan-casting favourites are Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Hugh Jackman, and Gerard Butler as Joel, with Kaitlyn Dever, Sophie Lillis, and Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink being suggested for Ellie. Bradley Russell