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The Last of Us TV show has officially wrapped filming in Calgary, Alberta, putting it on track to arrive in 2023. HBO may not have revealed exactly when the series – based on Naughty Dog’s video game of the same name – will premiere just yet, but we keep being drip-fed info, and it’s enough to tide us over.
Below, we’ve compiled all we’ve learned to date, from the cast, to those behind the camera, and how the plot might be adapted for the small screen. There’s no trailer just yet, but we do have plenty of photos and set videos – including an official image of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Pedro Pascal’s Joel in action – which all gives us an indication as to what to expect from the final product. So, to get yourself up to speed too, scroll on to find out everything we know so far about The Last of Us TV show.
The Last of Us TV show release date: 2023, according to HBO
We don’t have an exact release date for The Last of Us series just yet, but HBO has now said we shouldn’t expect the show to hit our screens until 2023.
“It’s not going to air in 2022 – they are still shooting in Canada. I imagine you will see it in ’23,” HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told Deadline (opens in new tab) at the time. That’s despite previous director posts and other whispers pointing to 2022.
As of June 2022, filming wrapped in Canada after a 13-month shoot that began in April of 2021 and turned Calgary, Alberta into a (temporary) dystopian nightmare. This still puts on track for a 2023 release date.
The Last of Us TV show story: “enhanced” but will it adapt both games?
So far, only a synopsis has been officially revealed by HBO: “The story takes place 20 years after modern civilization 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 (opens in new tab) in early March 2020, 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 making their way into the HBO series should also whet the appetite of many who enjoyed The Last of Us 2.
The first season, meanwhile, is set to last for 10 episodes. It’s not yet known if the first season will cover the entirety of the first game’s events.
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 (opens in new tab), “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 no-brainer – and to do it under the umbrella of HBO and all their 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 (opens in new tab) in a recent interview. “He just wants everybody to know this experience.”
The Last of Us TV show cast: who’s playing Joel and Ellie?
The Last of Us TV show has its Joel – The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal, AKA television’s favorite dad, will be taking on the series’ lead male role and Troy Baker, the actor behind Joel in the video game, has given the casting decision his seal of approval. “This IS the way. Full support. Full stop. Can’t wait for you to show me a side of Joel I never knew, Pedro,” he posted on Instagram.
The actor has revealed he hasn’t played the video games – but have no fear, it’s for a good reason. “I found Joel so impressive – I found the whole of it such a visually impressive experience. And then I got worried that I would want to imitate too much, which I think could be right in some circumstances, and then a mistake in others. So I just wanted to create a healthy distance, and for that to be more in the hands of [show co-writer] Craig Mazin and [game director and show co-writer] Neil Druckmann.”
Pascal will be joined by fellow Game of Thrones alumni Bella Ramsey as Ellie, which seems an ideal fit. With her role as the fan-favorite Lady Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, Ramsey has already proven herself more than capable of playing a fierce, confident, show-stealing character.
The first look at their pair of leads was released as part of the franchise’s Outbreak Day celebrations (see below), while a second image of the pair was released as part of Summer Game Fest 2022 (see above).
Gabriel Luna will play Tommy, Joel’s younger brother. Luna’s previous roles include parts in Terminator: Dark Fate, True Detective, and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.
Meanwhile, Merle Dandridge will play The Fireflies leader Marlene – Dandridge also played the role in the video game. It’s thanks to Marlene that Joel and Ellie meet each other.
Nico Parker, will play Joel’s daughter, Sarah. Parker’s breakout role was as Milly Farrier in Tim Burton’s 2019 reimagining of Dumbo. You might’ve also seen her in the 2020 HBO series The Third Day, in which she played Ellie (not that Ellie) in three episodes.
Nick Offerman will play Bill (replacing Con O’Neill due to a scheduling conflict) and Murray Bartlett is set to play Frank. The pair are described in Deadline (opens in new tab) as “two post-pandemic survivalists living alone in their own isolated town.” Tommy’s voice actor from the games, Jeffrey Pierce, will play an original character by the name of Perry.
Anna Torv will be playing Tess, Joel’s friend and fellow smuggler who helped Joel and Ellie get to the Fireflies. Tess will be a recurring character in the series, so expect her to play a major role in more than one episode. Storm Reid will play Riley, hinting that the show will adapt parts of the Left Behind DLC.
One mysterious character, by the name of Mr. Adler, will be played by Brad Leland. Joel and Ellie’s game actors, Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, will also appear in undisclosed roles.
As for the other roles, Neil Druckmann has listed a large chunk on Twitter. Maria is there, as is a redacted character with four letters – which very well could be *mild spoilers for The Last of Us 2* Abby, a member of the WLF and one of the main characters in the sequel.
And now you have Ellie, Riley, Tess, Marlene, Maria, ⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️, and a few others! 😉 https://t.co/GMozU0TaZEMarch 8, 2020
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Mazin also assuaged fears that characters will change from their game counterparts by stating that Ellie will remain LGBTQ.
You have my word.March 5, 2020
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Alongside the cast of characters and director is a certain composer. Gustavo Santaolalla will be scoring the HBO series, just as he did with the first two games. There are also several directors on board, including Oscar nominee Jasmila Žbanić, Kantemir Balagov, and Ali Abbasi. Neil Druckmann also appears to be helming an episode, which we know thanks to a production listing.
The Last of Us TV show set photos and videos
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The first set photo from The Last of Us’ production has surfaced, all thanks to Tommy actor Gabriel Luna.
Luna appears alongside Pedro Pascal and Sarah actor Nico Parker, perhaps hinting that they’re filming the tragic opening to The Last of Us. If you know, you know.
Another two batches have also given us the first look at the series’ sprawling sets. Could this be the Boston QZ where Joel and Ellie first meet? Another set of photos certainly back that theory up.
Meanwhile, another photo shows Pedro Pascal wearing clothes that look extremely close to Joel’s getup from the original game, and others show off how Canmore, Alberta, will be transformed into Jackson, Wyoming. Yet another batch shows Joel, Ellie, and Tess on a set covered in Cordyceps, the fungus that infects and turns people into groaning, gnashing, killer zombies. Then there’s another batch that shows Joel and Ellie on horseback, as well as what seems to be the University of Eastern Colorado.
The latest behind-the-scenes photo, which gives us our first real close-up of Ellie and Joel, shows Pascal and Ramsey sharing a tender father-daughter moment between takes. A new video from set, presumably taken the same day, shows Ellie and Joel walking through a dystopian scene of seemingly abandoned med tents.
Photos of the HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ set being built in Calgary.(via CTV News) pic.twitter.com/m5HWqD38JvAugust 4, 2021
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Via: https://t.co/cxPBvbvCWi | (2/2) pic.twitter.com/6eyAyjtPDaSeptember 8, 2021
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Pedro Pascal (Joel) on the set today.📸 @KristinRaworth pic.twitter.com/iqk3quLANwOctober 13, 2021
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🔥 Pedro Pascal (Joel), Anna Torv (Tess) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) filming #TheLastofUs yesterday.Thanks! @mcyc504 pic.twitter.com/oOaaR6n4C7October 27, 2021
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Images from HBO’s PowerPoint presentation at the Council meeting in Canmore, the town that will transform into Jackson this November for the filming of #TheLastofUsvia @Joanastic pic.twitter.com/faAY9Et6x5November 2, 2021
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Chills. Literal chills. #TheLastofUs🎥 @ximenesjp pic.twitter.com/18BS3WZZNRNovember 24, 2021
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When you’re lost in the darkness… pic.twitter.com/ijU9g0l2rDNovember 23, 2021
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Pedro Pascal (or his stunt double) filming a fight scene for #TheLastofUs.OMG, Joel. 😳 pic.twitter.com/3Llxbbh8a0November 22, 2021
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New HBO’s The Last of Us set photos in Calgary!Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Henry (Uknown), Sam (Uknown) #TheLastofUs #HBO pic.twitter.com/9OObMY4JXkMarch 23, 2022
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New video of Joel, Ellie, Henry and Sam on the set of #TheLastofUs!🎥 u/dbaxter1304 pic.twitter.com/XpwDzND0hzMarch 23, 2022
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I want to live in this photo 🫠📸 jaimep007 #thelastofus pic.twitter.com/hJV87KSb4zJune 8, 2022
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🥹pic.twitter.com/T0SUdNvQj1June 8, 2022
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That’s everything we know so far about The Last of Us HBO series. For something to watch now, make sure to check out the best Netflix shows currently streaming.
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