However, there is hope that The Last of Us can avoid the same fate, with an acclaimed team of actors, writers and directors, as well as considerable financial investment from HBO.<\/p>\n
Read on for everything we know so far about The Last of Us television series.<\/p>\n
The Last of Us TV show release date speculation<\/strong><\/h2>\nThere\u2019s no official release date for The Last of Us just yet, but we can estimate when the show is likely to debut based on the information we do have to hand.<\/p>\n
According to the Director\u2019s Guild of Canada, The Last of Us is undertaking an 11-month shoot in Calgary, which began back in July 2021 and will conclude this coming June [via CBC<\/a>].<\/p>\nThe show is set to have extensive visual effects which will likely require a lengthy stint in post-production, which leads us to the working theory that it won\u2019t premiere until late 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\nWith any luck, the wait will be worth it, as HBO are pouring an eye-watering sum of money in this project.<\/p>\n
Damian Petti, president of union branch IATSE 212, told CTV News<\/a> that the budget of the show \u201cwell exceeds the eight figure per episode mark\u201d, suggesting a minimum spend of more than $100 million across the first season\u2019s 10 chapters.<\/p>\nOf that money, Variety<\/a> revealed that $600,000 per episode (for a total of $6 million) is going to lead actor Pedro Pascal, making him one of the top paid actors on television.<\/p> The Last of Us TV show cast<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""last\"]( "\\"\"last-of-us-cast\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nTaking on the roles of Joel and Ellie is a daunting task as so many people are already heavily invested in these characters, but we have a feeling that the team behind The Last of Us series may have nailed the casting.<\/p>\n
Playing Joel will be The Mandalorian<\/a>\u2018s Pedro Pascal, who is rumoured to have beaten competition for the role from Game of Thrones<\/a> co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Oscar darling Mahershala Ali.<\/p>\nAs for Ellie, that hugely important character will be portrayed by Bella Ramsey, another Thrones cast member who memorably played Lyanna Mormont in the later seasons.<\/p>\n
In April 2021, former Ghost Rider actor Gabriel Luna was added to the cast as Tommy, who is the younger brother of Pascal\u2019s Joel and a jaded former soldier.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a move that should be pleasing to purists, The Last of Us video game actor Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant<\/a>) will return for this adaptation as Marlene, the head of a scrappy resistance fighting a harsh military regime.<\/p>\nAnother familiar face from the game will also feature here, with Jeffrey Pierce cast as quarantine zone rebel Perry (although longtime fans will know him as the voice of Tommy in the original Playstation title).<\/p>\n
Rounding out the cast is Nico Parker (Dumbo) as Joel\u2019s daughter Sarah and Anna Torv (Mindhunter<\/a>) as smuggler Tess, while Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus<\/a>) and Nick Offerman (Pam and Tommy<\/a>) are survivalists Frank and Bill.<\/p>\nBeanpole director Kantemir Balagov is on board to direct the pilot, with later episodes to be helmed by celebrated filmmakers Jasmila \u017dbani\u0107 and Ali Abbasi, as well as The Umbrella Academy<\/a>\u2018s Jeremy Webb and Dead to Me<\/a>\u2018s Liza Johnson.<\/p>\nThe scripts will be penned by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the latter of whom also worked on the game as writer and creative director, so his presence should be reassuring for fans.<\/p>\n
The series was first announced as a collaboration between Mazin and his Chernobyl<\/a> filmmaker Johan Renck, but the latter was forced to drop out at the start of 2021 due to a scheduling conflict.<\/p>\nWhat is The Last of Us about?<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""Trailer\"]( "\\"\"The\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> The Last of Us Part 2<\/span><\/figcaption> Sony\/YouTube<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nThe Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been infected by a kind of fungus that turns them into savage, zombie-like creatures.<\/p>\n
We follow Joel, a man who has endured terrible loss, who is tasked with safely escorting a teenage girl named Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine camp and across the United States.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, it will not be an easy trip and with dangers lurking around every corner the unlikely team will start to depend on each other more than they ever thought possible.<\/p>\n
Writer Neil Druckmann, who has been closely involved in both the video game and television adaptation, revealed that the 10-episode first season will adapt the original Playstation title in full \u2013 albeit, with some changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings sometimes stay pretty close,\u201d he told IGN<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s funny to see my dialogue there from the games in HBO scripts. And sometimes they deviate greatly to much better effect because we are dealing with a different medium.\u201d<\/p>\nDruckmann went on to explain that there will naturally be less action in the television show than there was in the game, partly as the lack of interactivity means there is no need to train players on the mechanics of shooting a gun and so on.<\/p>\n
\u201cHBO\u2019s been great in pushing us to move away from hardcore action and focus more on the drama of the character,\u201d he added. Some of my favourite episodes so far have deviated greatly from the story, and I can\u2019t wait for people to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is there a trailer for The Last of Us?<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot just yet, although with filming due to complete in the coming months, it may not be long until we have our first official look at the hotly anticipated series.<\/p>\n
The Last of Us is coming soon. Check out more of our Sci-Fi<\/a> coverage or visit our <\/strong>TV Guide<\/a> to find out what\u2019s on this week.<\/strong><\/p>\n\nThe latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By David Craig Published: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 at 12:00 am We could be on our way to the first truly excellent live-action video game adaptation, as HBO\u2019s The Last of Us is promising gripping psychological drama and terrifying thrills later this year. Based on the acclaimed Playstation game, this 10-part adaptation stars Game of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":11259,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By David Craig Published: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 at 12:00 am We could be on our way to the first truly excellent live-action video game adaptation, as HBO\u2019s The Last of Us is promising gripping psychological drama and terrifying thrills later this year. Based on the acclaimed Playstation game, this 10-part adaptation stars Game of…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/11258"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The show is set to have extensive visual effects which will likely require a lengthy stint in post-production, which leads us to the working theory that it won\u2019t premiere until late 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n With any luck, the wait will be worth it, as HBO are pouring an eye-watering sum of money in this project.<\/p>\n Damian Petti, president of union branch IATSE 212, told CTV News<\/a> that the budget of the show \u201cwell exceeds the eight figure per episode mark\u201d, suggesting a minimum spend of more than $100 million across the first season\u2019s 10 chapters.<\/p>\n Of that money, Variety<\/a> revealed that $600,000 per episode (for a total of $6 million) is going to lead actor Pedro Pascal, making him one of the top paid actors on television.<\/p> Taking on the roles of Joel and Ellie is a daunting task as so many people are already heavily invested in these characters, but we have a feeling that the team behind The Last of Us series may have nailed the casting.<\/p>\n Playing Joel will be The Mandalorian<\/a>\u2018s Pedro Pascal, who is rumoured to have beaten competition for the role from Game of Thrones<\/a> co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Oscar darling Mahershala Ali.<\/p>\n As for Ellie, that hugely important character will be portrayed by Bella Ramsey, another Thrones cast member who memorably played Lyanna Mormont in the later seasons.<\/p>\n In April 2021, former Ghost Rider actor Gabriel Luna was added to the cast as Tommy, who is the younger brother of Pascal\u2019s Joel and a jaded former soldier.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in a move that should be pleasing to purists, The Last of Us video game actor Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant<\/a>) will return for this adaptation as Marlene, the head of a scrappy resistance fighting a harsh military regime.<\/p>\n Another familiar face from the game will also feature here, with Jeffrey Pierce cast as quarantine zone rebel Perry (although longtime fans will know him as the voice of Tommy in the original Playstation title).<\/p>\n Rounding out the cast is Nico Parker (Dumbo) as Joel\u2019s daughter Sarah and Anna Torv (Mindhunter<\/a>) as smuggler Tess, while Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus<\/a>) and Nick Offerman (Pam and Tommy<\/a>) are survivalists Frank and Bill.<\/p>\n Beanpole director Kantemir Balagov is on board to direct the pilot, with later episodes to be helmed by celebrated filmmakers Jasmila \u017dbani\u0107 and Ali Abbasi, as well as The Umbrella Academy<\/a>\u2018s Jeremy Webb and Dead to Me<\/a>\u2018s Liza Johnson.<\/p>\n The scripts will be penned by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the latter of whom also worked on the game as writer and creative director, so his presence should be reassuring for fans.<\/p>\n The series was first announced as a collaboration between Mazin and his Chernobyl<\/a> filmmaker Johan Renck, but the latter was forced to drop out at the start of 2021 due to a scheduling conflict.<\/p>\n The Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been infected by a kind of fungus that turns them into savage, zombie-like creatures.<\/p>\n We follow Joel, a man who has endured terrible loss, who is tasked with safely escorting a teenage girl named Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine camp and across the United States.<\/p>\n Needless to say, it will not be an easy trip and with dangers lurking around every corner the unlikely team will start to depend on each other more than they ever thought possible.<\/p>\n Writer Neil Druckmann, who has been closely involved in both the video game and television adaptation, revealed that the 10-episode first season will adapt the original Playstation title in full \u2013 albeit, with some changes.<\/p>\n \u201cThings sometimes stay pretty close,\u201d he told IGN<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s funny to see my dialogue there from the games in HBO scripts. And sometimes they deviate greatly to much better effect because we are dealing with a different medium.\u201d<\/p>\n Druckmann went on to explain that there will naturally be less action in the television show than there was in the game, partly as the lack of interactivity means there is no need to train players on the mechanics of shooting a gun and so on.<\/p>\n \u201cHBO\u2019s been great in pushing us to move away from hardcore action and focus more on the drama of the character,\u201d he added. Some of my favourite episodes so far have deviated greatly from the story, and I can\u2019t wait for people to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n Not just yet, although with filming due to complete in the coming months, it may not be long until we have our first official look at the hotly anticipated series.<\/p>\n The Last of Us is coming soon. Check out more of our Sci-Fi<\/a> coverage or visit our <\/strong>TV Guide<\/a> to find out what\u2019s on this week.<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n By David Craig Published: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 at 12:00 am We could be on our way to the first truly excellent live-action video game adaptation, as HBO\u2019s The Last of Us is promising gripping psychological drama and terrifying thrills later this year. Based on the acclaimed Playstation game, this 10-part adaptation stars Game of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":11259,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/02\/the-last-of-us-tv-show-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By David Craig Published: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 at 12:00 am We could be on our way to the first truly excellent live-action video game adaptation, as HBO\u2019s The Last of Us is promising gripping psychological drama and terrifying thrills later this year. Based on the acclaimed Playstation game, this 10-part adaptation stars Game of…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/11258"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Last of Us TV show cast<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""last\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/02\/last-of-us-cast-d389475.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"last-of-us-cast\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nWhat is The Last of Us about?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Trailer\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/08\/The-Last-of-Us-Part-2-a6dd5c4.jpg?quality=90&crop=149px%2C0px%2C1621px%2C1080px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"The\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Is there a trailer for The Last of Us?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"