HBO Series Adaptation: The Last of Us

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Lately, there’s been a buzz going around on Twitter after the casting for the anticipated HBO series The Last of Us was announced. It will star Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The Last of Us is one of the most critically acclaimed video games that has taken the protective guardian and child role to the next level. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a smuggler, Joel, was given no other option but to escort a young girl named Ellie to an organization called the Fireflies. Joel and Ellie bond as a guardian and child throughout an adventure across the country where they are confronted by cannibals, military personnel, hunters, and the infected. 

The infected doesn’t quite mean the usual basic rotting zombie. Instead, the creatures who were once humans have been infected by Cordyceps: a parasitic fungus that actually exists. Cordyceps take over a host and grow inside the host’s brain, slowly killing and turning the host into a pot for it to thrive in. Don’t worry though. The Cordyceps can only take over insects, not humans. Hopefully, the ominous setting within the video game stays fictional. 

This fictional world, however, will no doubt sprout to life with none other than Johan Renck as the director. For those of you who don’t know, Renck directed the highly acclaimed HBO series, Chernobyl. In the show, Renck visually mastered low dusty, apocalyptic lighting in saturated hues, vividly capturing the moments of fear and confusion such as when citizens witnessing military personnel wearing hazmat suits before them. There is no doubt Renck will master the same dystopian visuals within the fictional world of The Last of Us. 

As for Pedro Pascal, there has mostly been a welcoming response from fans of both the video game turned series and of Pascal himself. Pascal isn’t a stranger when it comes to playing the father/guardian role. His winning performance as the Mandalorian taking care of Baby Yoda, or as the mercenary who teamed up with a young girl in the movie Prospect will no doubt give him an edge for playing a rough but protective character such as Joel. Bella Ramsey has also mostly received a good response from fans on Twitter. Ramsey is most notable for her role in playing the fierce young lady  Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. 

The series adaptation of the video game has become HBO’s newest project. Not only have they done right by the casting and the director, but they also brought on the original music composer of the video game, Gustavo Santaolalla, and the video game’s co-president, Neil Druckmann, who had a hand in creating the video game itself. Although The Last of Us series adaptation is still in its early days of production, there is no doubt HBO is feeling the excitement and high expectations of thousands of fans.