Newly released The Last of Us character posters give fans a detailed look at the cast of the upcoming HBO television series. Based on the 2013 PlayStation video game of the same name, the 10-episode show focuses on weathered survivor Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) as he escorts Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested United States to the militant faction known as the Fireflies. The rogue group hopes to use Ellie's natural immunity to synthesize a cure for the fungal infection plaguing the world.
A week after releasing a new poster for the upcoming zombie-horror show, The Last of Us took to Twitter to share new detailed character sheets. Along with Joel and Ellie, nine additional characters receive their own posters, including Tess (Anna Torv), Sarah (Nico Parker), Riley (Storm Reid), Henry (Lamar Johnson), Sam (Keivonn Woodard), Bill (Nick Offerman), Frank (Murray Bartlett), Tommy (Gabriel Luna), and Marlene (Merle Dandridge). Check out The Last of Us posters below:
Can The Last Of Us Be The Best Video Game Adaptation?
Following The Last of Us' original release by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, there were several attempts to adapt the game into a feature film. However, with The Last of Us Part II nearing release in 2020, a television series was finally announced. As the show is being developed by the original game's co-director, Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl creator and head writer, Craig Mazin, The Last of Us series is expected to deliver a high-quality adaptation.
Movie studios have attempted to adapt popular video games for decades but have achieved minimal success. Super Mario Bros. (1993), Street Fighter (1994), and Wing Commander, among many others, were heavily derided by critics and audiences alike. Although some films succeeded, such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Silent Hill, and Mortal Kombat (1995), the reception was still mixed from fans. However, more recent attempts at video game adaptations have fared far better, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu, and Uncharted.
With the original game creator and Mazin, a self-professed The Last of Us fan and screenwriting guru, behind the project, the upcoming HBO show can continue the trend of solid video game adaptations. Unfortunately, the series may be faced with the common practice of review-bombing as the franchise has been met with heavy criticism from a corner of its fandom regarding The Last of Us Part II's bold narrative and the show's casting choices. With The Last of Us set to premiere on January 15, 2023, audiences do not have to wait much longer to decide if the show lives up to the well-loved award-winning game.
Source: The Last of Us