The Last of Us TV show "should" debut in early 2023, director says

Joel teaching Ellie to use a sniper rifle in The Last of Us — (Image credit: Naughty Dog)

The Last of Us TV series could debut in early 2023, the first episode's director has revealed.

For a time it seemed the show would premiere this year, but HBO has since confirmed that isn't happening, instead pegging it for a vague 2023 release. Now it seems that release window has tentatively narrowed down to early 2023, which could be anywhere from January to April or so. This is according to Kantemir Balagov, who directed the pilot episode of The Last of Us TV show and touched on the release window in a recent interview with Russian outlet Cold (thanks, Comicbook). "[The series] is still filming," Balagov said. "It should be released early next year."

Of course, this isn't an official announcement from HBO, and until we get that it's best to take this with a grain of salt. Still, it's the most specific release window we've heard from someone directly involved with the show.

Alongside the news of a potential release window, Balagov also let slip that the series is still filming. This is a little surprising considering Neil Druckmann, who directed the two Last of Us games and serves as director and co-writer on the show, wrapped up his work on the series back in November. Six months out it's fair to assume it would be nearing a move into post production, but regardless, it would seem we're less than a year away from seeing the show's premiere on HBO Max.

For what to watch in the meantime, check our exhaustive list of the best TV shows to see if there's anything you missed.

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.