The first trailer for HBO’s The Last of Us, based on Naughty Dog’s acclaimed computer game about searching for family in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, has been released. Outbreak Day, also known as The Last of Us Day, is an annual celebration of the series conducted by developer Naughty Dog, and the release of the new teaser was a part of that.
In the new teaser, we meet Pedro Pascal’s character, Joel, a middle-aged guy who, after a horrific epidemic nearly eradicates civilization, becomes a delivery specialist. The series will follow Joel as he takes Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) to a lab so that her blood may be studied, much like in the video game.
There’s hope for discovering a cure and reclaiming civilization in Ellie’s body, as she seems to be immune to the virus. In The Last of Us, we tag along with protagonists Joe and Ellie as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic America while escaping the violent Infected. They must also contend with other survivors, some of whom will stop at nothing to secure supplies for themselves. Despite the abundance of zombie stories available today, The Last of Us was able to capture the hearts of millions of players with its gripping narrative. Joel and Ellie forge an unbreakable friendship as they fight together to stay alive, raising the narrative stakes.
In the clip, we get a glimpse of how HBO’s series adaptation will remain faithful to the video game, with several settings seeming virtually unchanged from the original. However, the film mostly serves to highlight how ideal Pascal and Ramsey are for their respective parts. Pascal and Ramsey stand out in the new clip in the same way that Joel and Ellie do as the game’s central couple. After seeing this teaser, I think we can all relax knowing that the programme is in good hands. Storm Reid plays Riley Abel, a survivor who was included in the downloadable content for the original game, titled The Last of Us: Left Behind, and she also starred in the HBO adaptation of the game.
This suggests that Naughty Dog’s original universe will be expanded upon in the programme, taking place after the events of the game. The series also stars Anna Torv, Merle Dandrige, Nico Parker, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, and Murray Bartlett. Lamar Johnson plays Henry, and Keivonn Woodard plays Sam. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, who portrayed Ellie and Joel in the games, respectively, have joined the series in unannounced capacities, as announced at Summer Game Fest. Kantemir Balagov will be directing the pilot episode of The Last of Us. The Last of Us features Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the original game’s designers and executive producers.
In 2023, HBO will air the first episode of The Last of Us.