HBO Max has finally revealed a release date for the new post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us, and the air date is just a mere few months away.
Tonight, the streaming platform revealed that The Last of Us will be released for streaming on January 15th, 2023.
The drama will be based on the video game of the same name created by Naughty Dog, which already has a huge fan base. For those not familiar with the video game, The Last of Us focuses on Ellie and Joel as they journey through a post-apocalyptic U.S. after the country is destroyed by a mysterious disease that turns people into monsters. Along the way, they meet many obstacles – and people/monsters – they need to overcome.
Craig Mazin is the executive producer and showrunner, while Neil Druckmann of Naughty Dog, the studio that developed the video games, is on board as executive producer. The ten-episode series is written by both of the men.
The hotly anticipated series will star Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as characters Joel and Ellie and Nick Offerman will play Bill.
It’s the first HBO series to be based on a video game, while it’s also reportedly the largest TV production in Canadian history. There’s a lot riding on this one, in other words.
Head content programmer at HBO Max, Casey Bloys has previously shared some insight into what viewers can expect from the new series.
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“I have seen some early episodes and I’m very excited,” Bloys said. “Craig did Chernobyl for us, he is a fantastic writer and director. What I’ve seen looks amazing, so I’m excited for it, but it will not be in ’22.”
He dismissed speculation that The Last of Us would be the “next” Game of Thrones. “There is no next Game of Thrones,” he said. “I’ve been here long enough that I’ve been through, what’s the next Sopranos, what’s next Game of Thrones, now what’s next Succession. There is no next Game of Thrones.”
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