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The Last of Us TV Show: Plot, Cast & Release Date

The Last of Us TV show is COMING – here’s what you need to know about its release date, casting, and set photos…


I’m not much of a gamer. But I played The Last of Us from start to finish and it blew my tiny, little mind. Not being a gamer, I had no idea that a game could be so engaging and moving. It was like a film, but better because you’re there, in the thick of the action.

With its enduring popularity, it should come as no surprise that The Last of Us is being adapted into a TV show. HBO is handling the production too, so there should be plenty of investment. The Last of Us could well go on to become HBO’s new Game of Thrones. If everything is done right, that is…

Given the scope of the game itself, as well as its characters, and the wider universe it builds, the scope of the TV series should be enormous. There’s so much stuff to cover, The Last of Us could easily be a five-season series – maybe more. It all depends on how creative the writers get with the material, I guess.

Either way, what I am most glad about is that The Last of Us is being done as a TV show. It wouldn’t work as a film. It’s just too big. There’d be too much left on the cutting room floor if the producers were forced to fit everything into a single film, or, worse, spread it out over a trilogy of movies.

The Last of Us TV Show Release Date 2022

HBO announced its intention to make The Last of Us into a TV show in March 2020 – right when COVID first kicked off. Production is now underway, following almost 12 months of writing and pre-production. As for when The Last of Us will be available to watch, most reports suggest it will get its official release date sometime in 2023.

Hopes for The Last of Us TV show getting a release date in 2022 have now been dashed. Shooting is still taking place in Canada, so the first season hasn’t been wrapped yet – and we’re now well inside 2022. This means The Last of US TV show will not get a release date until 2023 at the very earliest – editing and post-production take time, after all.

The Last of Us TV Show Release Date, Cast, PlotPin
HBO has confirmed that Pedro Pascal – of Narcos and Mandalorian fame – will play Joel, while Ellie will be played by Bella Ramsey who also appeared in HBO’s Game of Thrones series. As did Pascal too.

And, given the nature of the show, I’d imagine there is plenty of post-production and FX that will have to be done. If the show follows the game, there’ll be tons of special FX both for the sets themselves and for the antagonists at play in the story. Given HBO’s track record, however, I think The Last of Us TV show will be well worth the wait – especially with its strong cast and excellent director.

The Last of Us will be available via HBO and, if you’re located in the UK, it will almost certainly come to Sky Atlantic around the same time – just like Game of Thrones. But because The Last of Us is an HBO production, the chances of it coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ are slim to none, sadly.

The Last of Us Cast

Ahead of The Last of Us’ release date, the million-dollar question is who will be playing Joel and Ellie? Well, you don’t have to wait to find out. HBO has confirmed that Pedro Pascal – of Narcos and Mandalorian fame – will play Joel, while Ellie will be played by Bella Ramsey who also appeared in HBO’s Game of Thrones series. As did Pascal too.

Here’s who’s playing the rest of The Last of Us’ cast:

  • Tommy – Gabriel Luna
  • Marlene – Merle Dandridge
  • Sarah – Nico Parker
  • Bill – Con O’Neill
  • Frank – Murray Bartlett
  • Tess – Anna Torv

As of right now, that is all casting updates confirmed so far for The Last of Us. In the weeks and months that follow, more and more names will be added. But at least we know who all the main protagonists will be played by. I also really love the choice of Pedro Pascal for Joel.

The Last of Us Set Photos

Shooting has now begun on The Last of US. Production is under wraps, obviously, but there has been a series of set photos leaked from the production which is now shooting in several locations around North America.

The Last of Us TV Show set photosPin
The Last of Us TV ShowPin
https://twitter.com/TheLastofUsNews/status/1435701317553565702

The Last of Us TV Show Budget

This is an HBO production, so you know it will be quality. HBO has made some of the best TV series ever produced. The Sopranos, often called the GOAT, was an HBO production. Ditto The Wire and Game of Thrones. For this reason, most people are very happy that it is HBO that is producing The Last of Us.

But how much is HBO spending on The Last of Us? According to reports, HBO has committed to $10 million per episode. That is a pretty big chunk of money. It’s not as much as it spent on Game of Thrones. But The Last of Us is a different beast to Game of Thrones; it will be cheaper to make just because of the nature of the content. Zombies are cheaper than dragons. Always have been.

The Last of Us TV Show Rating – Will It Be R-Rated?

The Last of Us is an adult game that covers adult themes. It isn’t kid-friendly. The game deals with the breakdown of society, the rise of a killer virus that turns people into murderous monsters, blood, guts, family members dying, and people starving to death. It’s pretty grim, basically.

HBO will not want to dilute any of the game’s content in its adaptation. This means, like Game of Thrones, The Last of Us will almost certainly be R-Rated. The Last of Us will feature plenty of blood, guts, and gore. It will also be extremely scary too – just like the game. And, hopefully, like the incoming Disney Alien TV series too.

2023 is going to be a very good year for TV.

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He has written for Den of Geek, Fortean Times, IT PRO, PC Pro, ALPHR, and many other technology sites. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.

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