The Last of Us' Series in the Works at HBO From 'Chernobyl' Creator Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann (Exclusive)
MARCH 05, 2020 9:30AMby*Borys Kit, Patrick Shanley
Craig Mazin, the creator of the acclaimed limited series*Chernobyl,*is reteaming with HBO adapt*The Last of Us, the massive Sony PlayStation video game franchise.
In a rare development in the world of video game adaptations, the writer and creative director of the game, Neil Druckmann, is also involved, and will work with Mazin to pen and executive produce what is intended to be a series.
Carolyn Strauss will also executive produce along with Evan Wells, the president of Naughty Dog, the Santa Monica-based developer of the game. The project is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and in association with PlayStation Productions and it will be the first television series from PlayStation Productions.
Originally launched in 2013, Sony and Naughty Dog’s*The Last of Us*garnered critical praise for its engrossing tale of the post-apocalypse centered on the relationship between Joel, a smuggler in this new world, and Ellie, a teenager who may be a key to a cure for the deadly pandemic.
Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the14-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 HBO series will cover the events of the original game, which was written by Druckmann, with the possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel,*The Last of Us Part II, which will release on May 29, 2020.
Mazin, who is said to be an avid player of the game, stated, “Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and*The Last of Us*is his magnum opus. Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Last of Us*won numerous “game of the year” awards and went on to sell more than 17 million copies across both its original release on the PlayStation 3 and a remastered version on the PlayStation 4.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to partner with Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the teams at Sony, Naughty Dog and PlayStation to bring the virtual world of this acclaimed game to life,” stated HBO programming president Casey Bloys.
“This is the first of many shows we intend to develop with our friends at PlayStation Productions,” said Chris Parnell, co-president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.*The Last of Us*is a brilliant achievement in storytelling and character development, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to work with this team to adapt it.”
Druckmann is a longtime vet of Naughty Dog, starting as a programming intern in 2004. In 2007, he was given the role of game designer on*Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the first installment in the action adventure series. In 2013, he created*The Last of Us, based on a concept he developed as a student at Carnegie Mellon University.
Mazin’s*Chernobyl*tackled a bleak and complex true-life event and became a must-see show for HBO. The show won an Emmy for outstanding limited series and landed one for Mazin for outstanding writing. Mazin also won a PGA and a WGA Award.
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If either of you could recommend one of those shows to watch....which would it be?
Severance - 1 season. Sci fi (ish), interesting, stylized. Sort of like LOST (because there's some mystery around what the company does or its purpose) meets a Kubric film (for styling). Idea is there's a company where a certain floor of workers have been "severed" meaning while at work they have zero memory/knowledge of their outside life. Outside, they have zero memory/ knowledge of their time at work. Funny in places, but mostly dark. starts off mysterious but we were hooked by the third episode and immediately binged the rest.
Succession: Power drama. Amazing characters. Dark humor. Three seasons. Almost every person is despicable. Billionaire media mogul Family "eats itself" and many others in the process of determining who will run the business when the patriarch retires or dies.
Barry: Dark humor. a few seasons. (3 or 4 or 5?) Hitman Barry moves to LA to work but starts taking classes to become an actor.
The White Lotus: One season is its own storyline. Season 1 takes place in Hawaii at a 5 star hotel resort. Various character sets / storylines, basically a peek into the dysfunction of the lives of rich people. It's funny, kooky, dramatic. Really good.
Watch the trailers and pick one. Obviously White Lotus and Severance are fewer episodes, so easier to complete than Succession or Barry.
Originally Posted by Mr. Plow:
That's like 10 votes for Succession. I guess I need to pick it back up.
Outside of a couple "middling" early season 1 episodes, the show takes off like a rocket about 3/5ths through season 1, and never looks back. It's my favorite show of all time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigBeauford:
Outside of a couple "middling" early season 1 episodes, the show takes off like a rocket about 3/5ths through season 1, and never looks back. It's my favorite show of all time.
Interesting, I watched episode 1 today and found myself losing interest fast. Not sure if it’s worth investing any more into it but a lot of people here say it is. [Reply]
Originally Posted by A Salt Weapon:
Interesting, I watched episode 1 today and found myself losing interest fast. Not sure if it’s worth investing any more into it but a lot of people here say it is.
Can't tell you much else other than stick with it. The 4 episodes or so where Logan is ill aren't the high points, but after that, it truly finds its footing. [Reply]
