From the decaying ashes of The Last of Us, the movie, comes The Last of Us, the TV series.
HBO announced Thursday that plans are in the works for the sprawling, best-selling videogame of 2013 to live anew as on the small screen as a drama. The game-maker himself Neil Druckmann, who served as writer and creative director on the zombie action title, is on board to write and executive produce what is planned as a series with HBO’s Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin.
“I can’t believe we get to team up with one of my favorite writers to bring Ellie and Joel’s journey to HBO,” Druckmann tweeted.
The Last of Us takes place 20 years after a devastating pandemic ravaged humanity, transforming many into what many of us would call zombies, but in the world of the game are the infected, mindless, hunger-driven shells of their former selves. And they come in all shapes and sizes. The story itself follows Joel, one of the survivors in one of the few remaining human settlements, who’s hired to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie out of their militarized quarantine zone. Ellie is special because she’s infected with the virus but somehow has not turned.
Actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson portrayed Joel and Ellie in the game through motion-capture and voice acting.
Sony once announced a movie version of The Last of Us in 2014 that ultimately never came to fruition. HBO revealed a brief teaser for the series announcement.
“Ellie and Joel are heading to HBO! But first… we got a little game to finish!” Druckmann tweeted. That game is the highly anticipated The Last of Us Part II, which was postponed for release on May 29. Johnson and Baker return for roles in the sequel, which also features Westworld actress Shannon Woodward.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the news.
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