Chief Content Officer of HBO Max, Casey Bloys has confirmed that the series adaptation of the highly acclaimed The Last of Us video game will premiere in 2023.
In an interview with Deadline, Bloys was asked if fans should expect the series to premiere in 2022, Bloys responded, “it’s not going to air in 2022. I imagine you will see it in ’23.” His last sentence even makes a 2023 release date seem sketchy, but that’s understandable and a cautionary stance, seeing how things like the pandemic can put an unexpected stop on production.
And a lot of us knew that The Last of Us production would likely extend to summer of 2022. So that makes it unlikely for HBO to handle both marketing and post-production in time for a 2023 release.
There are high expectations for the upcoming series as set images and official images from the series have teased a significant change from the game’s setting. In the series, the pandemic will occur in 2003 instead of 2013, this means the series’ main events will take place in 2023, rather than 2033, which overlaps The Last of Us timeline with the series’ expected premiere.
While fans of the acclaimed video game might find the series’ delay a bit disappointing, Bloys tried to keep the series’ hype alive and strong by sharing his impressions on the series stating, “I have seen some early episodes and I’m very excited. Craig Mazin did Chernobyl for us, he is a fantastic writer and director. What I’ve seen looks amazing, so I’m excited for it, but it will not be in ’22.”
The Last of Us games took place in a post-apocalyptic world where society crumbled after a pandemic turned people into vicious, zombie-like creatures.
The series will star Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, two survivors who join forces in the franchise’s first game. Storm Reid was also recently cast as Riley Abel and the series’ cast also includes Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman, along with previously announced stars Anna Torv, Merle Dandrige, Nico Parker, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, and Murray Bartlett.
The first episode of The Last of Us series will be directed by Kantemir Balagov. Original game creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin are listed as creators and will also serve as executive producers.
The transmedia space continues to grow and Sony’s PlayStation Production intro shows that it’s serious about getting into the movie business as we’ve gotten a live-action adaptation of Uncharted, and glimpses of the Last of Us series. Sony properties aren’t the only games being adapted for the screen, streaming giants Netflix have also announced their live-action Bioshock movie which is currently in the works.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
