It has been confirmed, via Heat Vision, that a series adaptation of the hit Playstation game ‘The Last of Us’ is in the works over at HBO, with ‘Chernobyl’ creator Craig Mazin writing and producing, alongside Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director of the game.
Developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, ‘The Last of Us’ is a third-person action-adventure survival horror in which the player controls Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States filled with hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.
“Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus,” said Mazin in a statement. “Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honoured to do it in partnership with Neil.”
Carolyn Strauss is also on board to executive produce, along with Naughty Dog president Evan Wells. The project will be the first series from PlayStation Productions.
“From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us,” said Druckmann. “With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show.”
The HBO series will reportedly cover the events of the original game, with the possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel, ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ which is set for release this May.