The Walking Dead showed us that TV viewers like their post apocalyptic zombie stories. The show has carried on for years as the backbone of AMC’s lineup. Now, it seems that HBO is going to turn toward the gaming world to try creating the world’s next great zombie television show.
The Last of Us is reportedly in the works at HBO for a full series, helmed by the creator of Chernobyl and a familiar name to fans of The Last of Us game series.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are said to be writing and executive producing the adaptation of one of PlayStation’s most popular exclusive titles.
Neil Druckmann is the writer and creative director of the original The Last of Us game and its upcoming sequel The Last of Us 2. His involvement in this project should put many gamer fears at ease as it pertains to respecting source material.
HBO saw a ton of success in involving source material writers in the past with George R. R. Martin and Game of Thrones. Clearly, the premium cable service is trying to duplicate this feat once more and catch lightning in a bottle with one of gaming’s most beloved titles.
The series will also see Carolyn Strauss as an executive producer, along with Evan Wells, the president of game developer Naughty Dog.
It’s not shocking to see Naughty Dog taking such a strong hand in the direction of this series. If you’ve ever heard the creative team discuss The Last of Us, they are all extremely passionate about the project. It is unlikely that they would ever put their creation in the hands of people they did not trust.
The Last of Us television series will be a co-produced project between Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions. This will mark the first television series to come out of PlayStation Productions.
It was inevitable that more video game adaptations would be announced this year. At the end of 2019, Netflix developed a smash hit series based on the book and game series The Witcher. The show, starring Superman star Henry Cavill, set the streaming world on fire with its faithful storytelling and intricate plot.
The Last of Us series will reportedly focus on the story from the first game in which Joel, an aging smuggler who has suffered great personal loss, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a quarantined Boston and across the “infected” country.
The sequel game, The Last of Us Part II, is set to be released on the PlayStation 4 this May.
