After concluding his time as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal has gone on to huge success, including by becoming the face (so to speak) of the first-ever live-action Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian. And soon, we’ll see him as Joel Miller in HBO’s adaptation of Naughty Dog’s iconic zombie game The Last of Us. If you were worried about how the story will translate to TV, Pascal is here to put you at ease.
Given that video game adaptations have been extremely hit and miss (mostly miss) over the years, it’s easy for fans to be apprehensive about this live-action version. However, according to Pascal, we have nothing to worry about. “There’s a very, very creative way of honoring what’s important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect,” the actor told GQ. “And then directions that you would expect it to go, and it might not… they’re doing some really smart things, is all I can say.”
Pascal compared The Last of Us to The Mandalorian, saying they both feel like passion projects:
"It’s similar to the way Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni treat The Mandalorian, in how [Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann] are treating The Last of Us — it’s in good hands because they love it so much. Well, clearly Neil created the video game, but Craig loves it so much. So it really is made for the people that love it. And there’s some very intense storytelling for people who might be less familiar."
Pedro Pascal tried and failed to play The Last of Us himself
For the record, Pascal tried to play the video game himself but found he didn’t have the skill, so he watched his nephew play it instead. “It really takes a specific kind of skill, and I don’t have it,” he said.
Or at least, he watched some of it. “I watched for as long as I was able to that day, and then I had to leave Florida. I found Joel so impressive — I found the whole of it such a visually impressive experience. And then I got worried that I would want to imitate too much, which I think could be right in some circumstances, and then a mistake in others. So I just wanted to create a healthy distance, and for that to be more in the hands of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.”
Maybe try it on easy mode next time?
What is The Last of Us about?
It’s no surprise that The Last of Us is getting the live-action treatment. Released in 2013, the game is considered to have one of the greatest storylines in video game history. The story follows Joel Miller, who is tasked with smuggling Ellie (played by Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey) — a girl who appears immune to the condition that has decimated the rest of the world — out of an oppressive quarantine zone and to a group called the Fireflies, who will use her immunity to develop a vaccine. But in order to get there, they must travel across a desolate America where the healthy will prove just as dangerous as the infected.
The Last of Us game franchise continued with another installment in 2020. Reviews were equally glowing, although the bold twists in the story divided fans. It’s unknown how much of both games the show will tackle.
HBO’s The Last of Us doesn’t have a release date yet. But given that it’s in the middle of a crazy year-long production, we should expect it to hit screens sometime in 2023. As always, Pascal’s schedule is chaotic. Currently, he’s starring alongside Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
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