The first trailer for The Last of Us TV series has landed (appropriately released on on The Last of Us Day). Starring Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie, the teaser sticks closely to Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic classic while also sprinkling on some of that prestigious HBO magic.
Backed by Hank Williams' 'Lone and Forsaken', the trailer runs through what to expect from the series. Namely, everything is bleak: despair is written across the survivors' faces, their civilization crumbled down due to the horror-inducing clickers – it all meshes together for a game-accurate take that should appease long-term fans and newcomers alike. And, yes, that is a reference to the Left Behind DLC, which sees Ellie and her best friend Riley in the early days of the outbreak.
A synopsis previously released by HBO reads: "The story 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 TV show co-writer Craig Mazin (who brought the critically acclaimed Chernobyl to life on HBO in 2019) stated in an interview with the BBC that the adaptation’s story aims to "enhance" the source material. "In this case, I’m doing it with [Neil Druckmann], and so the changes that we're making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance," Mazin said at the time.
Much of the complete cast for The Last of Us has already been announced. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey is Gabriel Luna, who will be playing Joel’s brother Tommy. They’ll be joined by Merle Dandridge, who reprises her role as Marlene from the first game. Anna Torv will play Tess; Nick Offerman is portraying Bill; Nico Parker is playing Joel’s daughter Sarah, while Joel and Ellie’s game actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson will also appear in undisclosed roles.
