After years of hearing about a rumored film, it appears that The Last of Us will be heading to the small screen with a series on HBO.
Craig Mazin, the creator of the limited series Chernobyl, has set up an adaptation of The Last of Us at HBO. In a fairly rare development for a game adaptation of any type, the writer and creative director of the game, Neil Druckmann, will work with Mazin to write the series as well as be an executive producer.
Released in 2013 by Sony and Naughty Dog, The Last of Us was a post-apocalyptic adventure game about the hunt for a cure to a pandemic. Joel, a smuggler by trade, is tasked with transporting a teenager named Ellie to a medical facility due to her seeming immunity to the disease. Along the way it becomes a heartbreaking journey with a truly unexpected ending.
“Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus,” Mazin said in a statement. “Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
“From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us,” said Druckmann. “With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show.”
The plan currently calls for the series to follow the events of the first game, but there is a chance of later including content from The Last of Us Part II which is due for release on May 29.
No word as of yet as to when the television series may debut.
