The Last of Us to get HBO series with Naughty Dog’s involvement

The Last of Us is one of the most beloved games ever made. Given its massive success, it’s no surprise that Hollywood has been trying to adapt it for a wider audience for years. At one point, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi was attached to produce a film adaptation of the survival horror game but alas, it never came to fruition.

With that said, HBO has picked up the rights to the series in partnership with the recently established PlayStation Productions.

“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.”

The series will be written by Craig Mazin, writer of the acclaimed Chernobyl and the upcoming Borderlands film. The Last of Us writer and creative director Neil Druckmann will also help Mazin pen the script and executive produce the series.

“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,” said Mazin in a statement.

The Last of Us HBO series will cover the events of the first game and potentially leave room to adapt pieces of the game’s upcoming sequel as well. Druckmann has previously expressed frustration in Naughty Dog’s games being adapted without any consultation from the game’s writers. Because of this, Druckmann’s heavy involvement with the HBO series should spark some hype.

“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.”

Naughty Dog’s other tentpole series, Uncharted, is set to get a movie next March with Tom Holland in the lead role. The film will begin filming this month.

The series has no date for when it’ll air or any casting details but we’ll continue to follow it. The Last of Us Part 2 will release exclusively on PS4 on May 29th, 2020.