It looks like HBO’s The Last of Us miniseries has its Joel and Ellie, with the lead roles going to The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal and Game of Thrones‘ Bella Ramsey, respectively, as first reported by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. Based on the critically acclaimed video game created by Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann, the series is being adapted by both Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the writer behind 2019’s Chernobyl (the show, not the explosion). It is unclear when the show is scheduled to drop, but with the latest casting news, it will be safe to assume filming will begin shortly.
Fans will best know Pascal (aka my current man-crush) from his roles in The Mandalorian, Narcos, and his mind-blowing (heh) take as Obyryn Martell in another HBO blockbuster series, Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones fans will also be aware of Bella Ramsey’s previous role as the hard-headed and fierce Lyanna Mormont – an absolute fan-favourite character.
Following years of speculative casting, with fans predicting roles going to Hugh Jackman, Karl Urban, Mahershala Ali, Sophia Lillis, and Millie Bobby Brown, it is great to see an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the confirmed lead roles.
The talent going into this series is absolutely remarkable, with veteran producer Carolyn Strauss (Treme, Game of Thrones, Deadwood: The Movie) and the game’s original composer, Gustavo Santaolalla also attached to the project. I have genuine hope that we are about to see the first great video game adaptation.
Stay tuned for updates!