The release of HBO’s The Last of Us is nearly upon us. Set to release on the 15th of January, 2023, the show’s first episode will premiere on HBO and HBO Max. It’s one of the most anticipated projects from the network behind House of the Dragon, promising to faithfully adapt one of the most beloved games ever made.
The stage is set for The Last of Us to join the other great HBO shows. With Craig Mazin, writer of Chernobyl, and original game developer Neil Druckmann at the helm, audiences are keen to see what the upcoming adaptation has in store. But where adaptations are involved, video game fans have been burned before. To keep The Last of Us fans appeased, HBO needs to get some important things right.
Joel’s Backstory
The show tells the story of Joel and Ellie, two playable characters from the original games. They will be portrayed by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones). The show’s first season is set to depict the deuteragonist’s initial meeting, their burgeoning friendship and subsequent travels in the post-apocalyptic United States.
In the upcoming HBO adaptation, Nico Parker (Dumbo) will play Joel’s daughter Sarah. She is pivotal to Pascal’s character and the story of the original game. While Parker’s casting guarantees a glimpse of Joel’s heartbreaking, troubled past, it is absolutely vital that Joel and Sarah’s bond is given the attention and respect it deserves.
The Infected
Even if you’re not a fan of zombie horror, The Last of Us is more than your average zombie flick. Undead in The Last of Us are actually victims of the parasitic fungus that destroyed the human race. A fictitious strain of a real-life fungi, the parasitic fungus transforms its victims into twisted, violent thralls.
The newest clip from the upcoming show brings Joel and Ellie face to face with a Clicker, one variant of many strains of Infected fans will recognize from the games. While fans don’t want to be bombarded with these creatures over the drama of the show’s main cast, it would be amazing if other Clicker variants make their mark on the HBO show. From the horrifying Bloaters to the chilling Rat King from The Last of Us: Part II, fans would be delighted with a quick foray into the series’ terrifying beasts.
Music by Gustavo Santaolalla
One of the game series’ understated heroes is its tragic, melancholy score. The music for The Last of Us and its sequel were made by Gustavo Santaolalla, an Argentine musician and record producer who has composed for a number of films. Most widely known is Santaolalla’s score for Brokeback Mountain (2005), but he has also scored various shows like Making a Murderer (2015).
Fans of the game can rest assured: Santaolalla is scoring the upcoming show. For any newcomers interested in the show, be prepared to have your hearts broken by the brilliant music alone.
Ellie’s Backstory
It’s guaranteed that Ellie will feature as a highlight of the show, but it better include her incredible backstory, lest the series enrage the fans. Ramsey’s Ellie is a hot-headed, bad-mouthed 14-year-old survivor of the post-apocalypse. Audiences deserve to see how this rich, strong character formed in such a ruthless world.
A Wrinkle In Time star Storm Reid (Euphoria) is set to play Ellie’s childhood friend. Riley Abel (Reid) is a crucial character to Ellie’s sordid history, featuring prominently in the story expansion to The Last of Us, called Left Behind. While her appearance is guaranteed, fans hope for more than a carbon copy of the expansion they’ve played before. Hopefully, the show will take its time to explore its central characters’ pasts.
More Fleshed-Out Side Characters
In addition to Joel and Ellie, The Last of Us writers have promised viewers more time with fan-favorite side characters. Nick Offerman (The Lego Movie) is set to take the screen as Bill. The Parks and Recreation star will play a jaded, but friendly, survivalist, who befriends Joel and Ellie as they make their way across the post-apocalypse.
Also set to appear is Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as Tess and Gabriel Luna (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Joel’s younger brother Tommy. Fans hope for more than extra screen time with these characters from the games; the show should add to these characters in a way that DLC and remasters never could.
The Original Game Cast
The Last of Us games aren’t button-mashing affairs but a revolutionary leap in video game storytelling, full of performances that touched the hearts of those who played the award-winning games. The show is thanking the original cast by featuring some of them in the show. Troy Baker and the brilliant Ashley Johnson, who both portrayed Joel and Ellie in the games, are set to cameo in the series, while a number of others will feature more prominently in the upcoming adaptation.
Merle Dandridge, for example, is reprising her role from the original game. The Sons of Anarchy star will play Marlene, the head of an anti-military group. The show has nothing to lose with the fans with these appearances from the original cast, so it better keep honoring their award-winning work as much as it can in the season ahead.
LGBTQ+ Representation
Those unfamiliar with The Last of Us might be unaware of its inclusive cast. From Keivonn Woodard’s Sam, a deaf teenager, to Lev from The Last of Us: Part II, the series boasts one of the most diverse main casts in modern games.
Take Ellie herself, one of the most iconic queer video game characters in horror history. The show has plenty of room to explore these facets of its many incredible characters, especially if more seasons get green-lit by the higher-ups at HBO.
New Storylines and Characters
The show has promised to “explore different avenues” and “bring new life” to the original games. Indeed, the show should do more than simply copy the magic of the games. Hopefully, new characters and side/sub-plots can be explored in the season to come.
A number of announcements have ensured that new stories are being written into the show. Jeffrey Pierce (of the original cast), Elaine Miles (Skins) and more are set to appear as original characters made entirely for the show. Fans eagerly await what Druckmann and co. have in mind for these newfound roles, but we’re sure the exciting new additions will help the show make a mark of its own.
A Mature Depiction of Violence
Like the hugely popular House of the Dragon, The Last of Us is set is a violent world. But like its sister-HBO-show, we hope it treats its violence right.
Where other shows might lean into the horrors and the angst and terror of the post-apocalypse, we hope that the writers take a nuanced approach to the gore and violence of the show. The writers tackled similar issues before, to mixed reception, in The Last of Us: Part II. Fans hope that the show can strike a balance between accessible and mature.
A Better Look at the Post-Apocalypse
Some of the best moments from the games quietly illuminate its world. Whether it’s giving us more on the characters’ relationships or deepening the history of the post-apocalypse, the games shine brightly when telling us the story of wider society after its fall .
HBO’s upcoming adaptation has an opportunity to do just that: give fans more lore about the world they’ve never seen from the original games. With the possibility of additional seasons and the original characters set to appear, audiences might be able to get a better glimpse at what humanity in the post-apocalypse would be like.