HBO has given a series order to drama The Last of Us, based on the popular PlayStation video game. The story takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a 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,” said HBO, as they traverse the U.S.
Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann and Carolyn Strauss are executive producers, along with Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own,” said Francesca Orsi, executive VP, HBO Programming. “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.”
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Written by Mazin and Druckmann, the series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games and Naughty Dog produce.
“We’re thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring The Last of Us series to life,” said Jeff Frost, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios and Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions. “PlayStation’s innovative storytelling and ingenuity is a natural complement to SPT’s creative focus. Our collaboration is a great example of our ‘One Sony’ philosophy at work. We look forward to developing even more iconic game IP in the future.”
