A first look at HBO's The Last of Us shows Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in their roles as video game characters Joel and Ellie. Originally a thrilling post-apocalyptic adventure game created by Naughty Dog and released in 2013, The Last of Us has earned plenty of awards and critical acclaim, along with a passionate fan base. The game, which has since gotten a sequel with The Last of Us II, is admired on multiple levels, from its realistic gameplay to its touching story, with the relationship between Joel and Ellie becoming the beating heart of the series. The narrative of the first game follows Joel, a smuggler, who must get teenage Ellie across the dystopian US.HBO picked up the television adaptation of the series and filmed it between July 2021 and June 2022. The Last of Us will be the first HBO series to be based on a video game, and the creators of the show include Neil Druckmann, who wrote and directed the original game. The game's composer will also be on board for the series, which bodes well for the faithfulness of the adaptation. Pascal and Ramsey lead the cast, along with Gabriel Luna as Joel's brother Tommy. Fans have eagerly awaited a first look at the big-budget series since the casting announcements, and HBO has finally provided a glimpse of the beloved characters in action.Related: Every Way HBO's The Last Of Us Will Differ From The GamesEarlier today, HBO Max shared some brief clips from the long-anticipated series via Twitter. Though short, the clips tease parts of Joel and Ellie's journey together and feature a conversation between the two about loss. One moment also includes Joel helping Ellie learn to point and shoot a gun, with Ellie later getting into some action. See the clips below:

The brief clips confirm that The Last of Us' adaptation will be satisfying and faithful to the source material. Some of the most exciting moments of the first look include seeing Nick Offerman as the reclusive Bill, a tease of Joel's origin story, and the spot-on dialogue delivery from Pedro Pascal. Not present in the clips but also appearing in the series are Anna Torv as Tess, Storm Reid as Riley, and Merle Dandridge as Firefly leader Marlene. Dandridge will be reprising her role from the video game. The team behind the series is impressive, with Chernobyl's Craig Mazin as one of the creators as well as the aforementioned Druckman and composer Gustavo Santaolalla.

Though no release date was revealed in the footage, the series is confirmed to premiere in 2023. Season 1 will include 10 episodes and follow the events of the first game in the franchise. The series was filmed in Alberta, Canada, and is said to be the largest television production in the country's history with each episode costing over $10 million to create. With massive expectations for the series from fans of the game, there are big shoes to fill for the cast and crew. However, the creative team's reported interest in preserving the quality of the game seems to be paying off, and it's likely that fans and those new to the story alike will find something to love in HBO's The Last of Us. Now that this first bit of footage has arrived, hopefully the network will reveal a full trailer soon.

Source: HBO Max via Twitter