HBO finally released a trailer for The Last of Us! The TV show is a long-awaited adaptation of Naughty Dog’s universally acclaimed video game of the same name, and is scheduled for release in 2023. The trailer offers our first glimpse of beloved characters and familiar environments.
According to HBO, “the story takes place twenty 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 the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”
Pedro Pascal – no stranger to playing emotionally scarred men tasked with protecting children – is Joel. And his physical resemblance to Joel is uncanny. Starring opposite him is Bella Ramsey, best known as Lyanna Mormont in another HBO drama: Game of Thrones. This casting choice has faced some criticism, as fans of the original game claim “she doesn’t look the part.” But Ramsey herself has remained enthusiastic, saying it’s “a complete privilege and an honor” to play the deadliest lesbian in gaming history.
The trailer lasts less than two minutes, and doesn’t show much of Ramsey’s performance as Ellie. Which means it’s impossible to judge how well she fits. In fairness, this decision perfectly mirrors the game – as in the trailer, Ellie is initially a watchful character who follows Joel’s lead. And it’s no surprise that HBO are keeping those pivotal scenes where Ellie takes center stage under wraps.
No matter how the casting of Ellie unfolds, it looks as if the series will remain loyal to the video game. Outfits, weapons, and even the framing of certain shots will be familiar to gamers. Even street signs are identical. Plus, in a nod to the original, HBO’s trailer is set to Alone and Forsaken – the Hank Williams song that played during the iconic bus ambush scene. We also glimpse the bold graffiti that gave players valuable insights into the civil unrest of post-outbreak America, and led to some of Joel and Ellie’s most interesting conversations.
Though we only catch snippets of scenes, several will be instantly recognizable to fans of the original game. The Miller family’s hometown on outbreak day; Downton Boston’s crumbling high rises; the civil war museum; Pittsburgh’s spotlighted gate; snowy Silverlake; the mall where Ellie and Riley shared a night that set the whole story in motion – much of the source material has been faithfully woven into the series.
And this comes as no surprise. Neil Druckmann, who wrote and directed the game, has also written many of the episodes. He has also been involved in directing the show. Back in 2014, Sony announced that Druckmann was writing a film adaptation of The Last of Us. He redrafted the script, found a producer, and even performed read-throughs with actors.
Sadly, the project entered what the man behind The Last of Us called “development hell.” Despite the fact he could have made a huge profit from it, Druckmann later said “I don’t want that movie to be made” and walked away. Druckmann has stayed consistently loyal to his vision for this story – which, if the trailer is any indication, will have a massive payoff.
As well as having won countless awards, The Last of Us has found a place in the hearts of fans around the world – fans who, thanks to two excellent games, already have a very clear idea of these characters and the world they inhabit. A world that has been brought to life in terrifying detail.
In the world of The Last of Us, society collapses as the cordyceps pandemic takes hold. Most of the world’s population is dead. On top of having to fight fellow survivors for limited resources, the remaining humans are up against the Infected. There are four stages of infection, each deadlier than the last. And in the trailer we get our first look at stage three: Clickers, so called because they use echolocation to track their prey.
HBO show enough of the Museum chapter to reassure fans that these ferocious enemies remain a real danger to our characters. Joel raises a finger to his lips as a Clicker approaches, reminding Ellie to be quiet. Because they’re on the other side of a glass display cabinet, the Clicker hasn’t found them – yet. From its shambling walk to its horrifying cry, the Clicker is everything that it should be.
The cordyceps infection takes root in the brain. And as the parasite grows, the skull splits open to accommodate it as the infection reaches stage three. This is why Clickers are so grisly to look at. Expert use of prosthetics and makeup by the wizards at HBO bring these monstrous enemies to life.
HBO are due to release The Last of Us in 2023. The first season is ten episodes long. Until we’ve seen them all, there’s no way of knowing for sure whether the show will stay loyal to the source material throughout. But the trailer is extremely promising. And if you can’t wait, you can always replay the game, recently remade for PS5.
