In what is sure to be a cheerful and not-at-all harrowing addition to your binge watching schedule, us network HBO has greenlit an adaptation of the popular video game series The Last Of Us, with the help of the guy who wrote Chernobyl.
HBO’s executive VP of programming Francesca Orsi announced the news, saying that Craig Mazin of Chernobyl will develop the show, alongside the writer and creative director of the games themselves, Neil Druckmann. She said:
“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own. With them at the helm alongside the incomparable Carolyn Strauss, this series is sure to resonate with both die-hard fans of The Last of Us games and newcomers to this genre-defining saga. We’re delighted to partner with Naughty Dog, Word Games, Sony and PlayStation to adapt this epic, powerfully immersive story.”
The original The Last Of Us was set twenty years after the apocalypse. It told the story of a smuggler named Joel who formed a close bond with a young girl named Ellie after he was paid to transport her through the zombie-infested remains of the USA.
The sequel, which came out this year, was a big seller, but faced some criticism for its gratuitous violence, and a plot that undid much of what the first game set up.
It’s unclear at this point whether the TV show will draw on the characters from the games, or focus on new characters from the same world.
