HBO is going forward with plans to make a premium television series based off the popular video game franchise, The Last of Us. Though it will be based off of the video games of the same name, it will be a new series written by Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, known for his work on Chernobyl. HBO and Sony Pictures TV are producing the show along with PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog.
Yes, this was officially announced back in March. That is when production on the series first started to get underway. We also learned that same month that Gustavo Santaolalla was being brought on to work on the show's soundtrack.
The Last of Us is set roughly 20 years after an apocalyptic event wipes out modern civilization. It centers on Joel, a middle-aged survivor who is hired to take a girl, Ellie, across the country to try to find a cure to a disease that turns humans into mutated, zombie-like monsters.
"Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own," said HBO Programming executive vp Francesca Orsi. "With them at the helm alongside the incomparable Carolyn Strauss, this series is sure to resonate with both die-hard fans of The Last of Us games and newcomers to this genre-defining saga. We're delighted to partner with Naughty Dog, Word Games, Sony and PlayStation to adapt this epic, powerfully immersive story."
"We're thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring The Last of Us series to life," said Sony Pictures TV Studios president Jeff Frost and PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash. "PlayStation's innovative storytelling and ingenuity is a natural complement to SPT’s creative focus. Our collaboration is a great example of our 'One Sony' philosophy at work. We look forward to developing even more iconic game IP in the future."
