We’re closing in on the premiere of HBO’s The Last of Us, and the time to get hype has come. Based on the best-selling video game by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us is a zombie story with a heavy focus on its found family of characters. The story follows hardened survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) as he escorts a young girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States after it’s discovered that she is immune to the plague.
The Last of Us video game came out in 2013 and quickly differentiated itself from all the other zombie stories out there thanks to how cinematic it was and how much attention it paid its characters. Knowing HBO’s style, we’re expecting the show to follow suit. Video game adaptations haven’t had the best track record historically, but with HBO’s trademark panache and the depth of this particular story, there’s good reason to hope The Last of Us is going to be something special.
Before it premieres, let’s go everything we know about the series so that you can go in armed and ready.
The Last of Us release date and episode count
First and foremost, let’s get the release date out of the way. The Last of Us premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, January 15. The show’s debut episode runs an eyebrow-raising 85 minutes; that’s only a few minutes shorter than the longest episode of Game of Thrones‘ entire run.
The first season of The Last of Us consists of nine episodes and will cover the entirety of the video game by Naughty Dog. Should the show be renewed for a second season, season 2 would cover The Last of Us Part II, the sequel game that came out in 2020.
The Last of Us synopsis
As for what The Last of Us is about, here’s the official synopsis from HBO:
"The series takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival."
The Last of Us trailer
With the premiere of The Last of Us mere days away, it should come as no surprise that HBO has already released several trailers for the show. Here’s the latest full trailer, which gives us our best look yet at the series:
The Last of Us cast & crew
The Last of Us show is being headed by Chernobyl creator Craig Maizin, in collaboration with Naughty Dog exec Neil Druckmann, who worked on the first and second games. The show stars Game of Thrones veterans Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
There are plenty of other memorable characters. HBO’s official website for the show has a great rundown of all these guest characters and their respective actors, which you can read below:
"Also joining the cast are Gabriel Luna (True Detective) as Joel’s younger brother and former soldier, Tommy; Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us video games, The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene; and Anna Torv (Fringe) as Tess, a smuggler and fellow hardened survivor.The series will guest star Nico Parker (The Third Day) as Sarah, Joel’s 14-year old daughter; Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as Frank and Bill, two post-pandemic survivalists living alone in their own isolated town; Storm Reid (Euphoria) as Riley, an orphan in Boston; and Jeffrey Pierce (The Last of Us video games) as Perry, a rebel in a quarantine zone."
Additional guest stars include Lamar Johnson as Henry and Keivonn Woodard as Sam, “brothers in Kansas City hiding from a revolutionary movement seeking vengeance,” as well as Graham Greene as Marlon and Elaine Miles as Florence, “a married couple surviving alone in the wilderness of post-apocalyptic Wyoming.”
The Last of Us premieres on HBO and HBO Max on January 15.
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