Neil Druckmann could be about to make his directorial debut in HBO’s forthcoming adaptation of The Last Of Us. It’s perhaps not a huge surprise considering Druckmann’s wealth of input as creator and game director of the franchise.
This new information came to light after a production list for The Last Of Us which was posted on the Director’s Guild of Canada’s website revealed Druckmann’s name, along with four others, as directors. Craig Mazin, best known for his work on Chernobyl, is also listed as a director, including Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov, (Beanpole), Jasmila Zbanic (Quo Vadis, Aida?), and Peter Hoar, (Doctor Who).
With filming well underway in Austin, Texas, (standing in for the Boston QZ), the cast list for the adaptation has been in recent months, ever-expanding. The show will feature former Game Of Thrones stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, as lead protagonists Joel and Ellie respectively.
Anna Torv will take on the role of Tess, with Merle Dandridge reprising her role from the game as Marlene, while Con O’Neil and Murray Bartlett were cast as Bill and Frank.
We’re in good hands. Let’s go @Neil_Druckmann!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/R40mFFj2ib
— Gabby 🌈🇵🇭 (@gabs820) September 16, 2021
Druckmann recently detailed the process of adapting the game for television, indicating that certain episodes of the series would “deviate greatly” from Naughty Dog’s source material.
Both Druckmann and Mazin agreed that “the philosophical underpinnings of the story” were crucial to the adaptation’s success. “Some of my favorite episodes so far have deviated greatly from the story, and I can’t wait for people to see them.”
While there’s no official release date, fans can expect the show to air in 2022.
The Last Of Us adaptation will cover the events of the first game, in which Joel, a hardened smuggler travels across what remains of a pandemic-ridden U.S with a 14-year-old Ellie, to deliver her to the Fireflies in a bid to create a vaccine for the Cordyceps virus.
