HBO Releases A Promising New Sneak Peek At The Last Of Us Series
HBO released new footage from the upcoming series, The Last of Us, and it looks to hold true to its video game roots.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been attempting a bit of a reboot when it comes to the content they release in theaters and on HBO Max, as the company cleans out some old titles to make room for new ones in the coming months. The company’s latest take on post-apocalyptic drama is the upcoming series The Last of Us, based on the popular Sony video game of the same name, whose latest trailer was released to HBO Max’s official YouTube channel this week. Garnering more than 136,000 views since its debut on October 16, the new series will showcase an ensemble cast of familiar faces led by the talented Pedro Pascal, and demonstrate the latest concept to come into a post-pandemic era.
According to a report by Collider, the new trailer for The Last of Us incorporates new footage from the series as well as promoting HBO’s existing lineup of shows debuting in 2023, including Love & Death and the fourth season of Succession. In the 20 or so seconds of screen time devoted to The Last of Us, the trailer depicts a harrowing road trip journey for its lead characters Joel Miller and Ellie Williams, played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, respectively. Some of the shots referenced in the trailer provide context to the plot of the show from the video game it is based on, including a terrifying outbreak in its opening scene and a frantic armored car chase that shows the two main characters in immediate danger.
Video game adaptations have been all the rage in recent years, entertaining viewers with built-in franchise fandom and IP tent poles to last several iterations. 2022’s Uncharted starring Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland attempted to stay true to its video game narrative by translating many of the elements of the game to the big screen, accomplishing that goal to the tune of a $401 million global box office haul. The Last of Us looks to be playing with similar dynamite as it tries to adapt the dark and twisted game to television, a first for HBO, while detailing the harsh state of affairs and menacing individuals that Joel and Ellie encounter while on a cross-country adventure across post-pandemic America.
The Last of Us will be released on HBO Max sometime in 2023 and costars a well-known crop of actors from various other cable network and streaming platform shows. The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal and Game of Thrones alum Bella Ramsey head up the new series, while battling against the elements and the likes of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor Gabriel Luna, and Fringe alum Anna Torv, with guest appearances by The White Lotus and Primetime Emmy Award-winning star Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman of Parks and Recreation fame, and Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey. Merle Dandridge, who voices the character of Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies and the resistance movement in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II video games, is set to reprise her role in HBO Max’s new television adaptation.
