Nov. 21 (UPI) — HBO announced it has given a series order to “The Last of Us,” a drama series based on the video game franchise of the same name.
Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, announced the cable network, which previously said “The Last of Us” was in development in March, has now given a series order for the show based on the Sony PlayStation video games.
The series is set to be executive produced by Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director of “The Last of Us” games, alongside Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”) and Carolyn Strauss (“Chernobyl,” “Game of Thrones”). Game developer Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan also serve as executive producers.
The show, a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, is being written by Mazin and Druckmann. PlayStation Productions, Word Games and Naughty Dog are attached to produce.
“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own,” Orsi said. “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.”
Jeff Frost, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios, and Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, welcomed news of the series order.
“We’re thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring “The Last of Us” series to life,” Frost and Qizilbash said in a statement. “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.”
The first game in “The Last of Us” series follows a survivor named Joel working to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone 20 years after the fall of modern civilization. The pair learn to depend on each other for survival as they cross the former United States.
“The Last of Us” series will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.
