HBO has given a series order to The Last of Us, the adaptation of the PlayStation video game, from Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, game creator Neil Druckmann and Game of Thrones exec producer Carolyn Strauss.
The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television in association with PlayStation Productions, Word Games and Naughty Dog. The network didn’t reveal how many episodes have been commissioned.
The Last of Us is an action-adventure game that was developed by Naughty Dog and released via Sony PlayStation in 2013. The 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 Part II, the video game sequel, was released this year.
The series is written by Mazin and Druckmann, and the pair exec produce alongside Strauss, Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
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“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP 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.”
Said Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, and Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions: “We’re thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring The Last of Us series to life,” 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.”