HBO's television adaptation of The Last Of Us will not arrive in 2022.
First announced in March 2020, the series is based on Naughty Dog's hit 2013 video game and went into production in mid-summer 2021. Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin is overseeing the show for HBO, with Pedro Pascal (Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie), and Gabriel Luna (Tommy) among the key players.
Early reports had suggested the series could arrive this year, with Ramsey posting an Instagram Story giving The Last of Us a 2022 release date. However, speaking to Deadline, Casey Bloys, chief content officer for HBO and HBO Max, revealed that The Last of Us American television series will not debut until 2023 at the earliest.
When asked when The Last Of Us will hit screens, Bloys replied: "It won't air in 2022, they're still shooting in Canada. I imagine you'll see it in 2023."
He had more positive news, revealing that the studio was delighted with the early results. "I've seen a few first episodes and I'm very excited," she added. "Craig did Chernobyl for us, he's a fantastic writer and director. What I've seen looks amazing, so I'm excited, but it won't be in 2022."
With a budget of more than €155 million, the production drew comparisons to Game Of Thrones, but Bloys quickly dismissed them. "There is no next Game of Thrones," Bloys suggested. "I've been here long enough to have gone by, what's the next Soprano, what's the next Game of Thrones, now what's the next Succession. There's no next Game of Thrones."
Analysis: What can viewers expect from The Last of Us?
The Last Of Us is set 20 years after modern civilization was destroyed by a deadly virus.
We follow Pascal's Joel, a veteran survivor who is hired to smuggle Ramsey's Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone to the Fireflies, an organization seeking a cure for the virus. Together, the pair must travel across America, depending on each other to survive as they go.
With Naughty Dog co-chairman Neil Druckmann, the TV adaptation of The Last of Us is likely to follow the events of the 2013 game as closely as possible. However, there will be some plot differences, Druckmann tells the Script Apart podcast: "Our approach for The Last of Us was 'Let's make it an indie film.' Let's approach it as an indie film crew, the way it is. filmed, the way it feels small and intimate. And with the show, we can lean into that even more because we don't need to have as many action sequences as in the game."
Meanwhile, Pascal believes the HBO adaptation will live up to the beloved video game franchise. Speaking to German magazine Neelix (thanks to Dualshockers for spotting it), the Mandalorian star said: "I think the film adaptation can be more than worthy of the original game. I have no doubt that we won't disappoint fans of the game. or new viewers". I hope he is correct.