HBO releases new The Last of Us footage as premiere date nears

As the January release date of The Last of Us fast approaches, HBO has dropped a new look at the highly anticipated series. Two new TV spots show Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie in serious danger.

The first short clip begins with Joel setting some ground rules, ahead of their journey through post-apocalyptic America. "If you’re coming with me, there are some rules you’ve got to follow, are we clear?," he says. To which, Ellie replies: "What you say, goes." It seems like the main instruction he’ll be giving her is "run" as they sprint away from explosions and creatures chasing them.

The second TV spot begins with a glimpse at Ellie’s life before, as she says: "Everyone has either died or left me". There’s also some footage of the other characters featured in the show: Nick Offerman’s Bill can be seen pulling his mask off while Melanie Lynskey’s new character Katheen looks concerned.

The TV spots contain a lot of footage we’ve already seen, including a bit from the Left Behind DLC portion of the original game. What they do highlight is the huge scope of the adaptation developed by Chernobyl's Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann.

Per the official HBO synopsis, the nine-part 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 across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival."

The Last of Us begins on HBO on January 15. For what else to add to your watchlist, check out our guide to all the major new TV shows on the way.