The Last of Us (TV series)
The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. The first season, based on the 2013 game, follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the immune teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. The second season is expected to adapt the 2020 sequel, partly following Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
The Last of Us
- Craig Mazin
- Neil Druckmann
- Gustavo Santaolalla
- David Fleming
United States
English
1
9
- Craig Mazin
- Neil Druckmann
- Carolyn Strauss
- Rose Lam
- Evan Wells
- Carter Swan
- Asad Qizilbash
- Greg Spence
- Cecil O'Connor
Canada
- Ksenia Sereda
- Eben Bolter
- Christine A. Maier
- Nadim Carlsen
- Timothy A. Good
- Mark Hartzell
- Emily Mendez
- Cindy Mollo
43–81 minutes
- The Mighty Mint
- Word Games
- PlayStation Productions
- Naughty Dog
- Sony Pictures Television Studios
January 15, 2023 –
present
Guest stars include Nico Parker as Joel's daughter Sarah, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, Anna Torv as Joel's partner Tess, Gabriel Luna as Joel's brother Tommy, Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Montreal Woodard as brothers Henry and Sam, and Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce as resistance leader Kathleen and her second-in-command Perry. The second season is set to introduce Isabela Merced as Ellie's romantic interest Dina and Young Mazino as Dina's ex Jesse.
The first season was filmed in Alberta from July 2021 to June 2022, while the second season is being filmed in British Columbia from February to August 2024. It is the first HBO series based on a video game, and is a joint production by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games. Druckmann, who wrote and co-directed the games, assisted Mazin with scriptwriting for the first season's nine episodes, joined by Halley Gross, who co-wrote the second game, and Bo Shim for the second season. The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, who composed for the games, and David Fleming.
The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023. It received acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, production design, and score; several called it the best adaptation of a video game. It won several awards, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards out of 24 nominations. Across linear channels and HBO Max, the series premiere was watched by 4.7 million viewers on the first day—the second-biggest for HBO since 2010—and almost 40 million within two months; by May, the series averaged almost 32 million viewers per episode. The second season is set to premiere in 2025.
Release[edit]
Broadcast and home media[edit]
The first season premiered in the United States on January 15, 2023.[80] It was broadcast on HBO in the United States,[181] and is available to stream in 4K resolution on HBO Max.[182] The first episode received its red carpet world premiere in Westwood, Los Angeles, on January 9,[183] followed by theater screenings in Budapest and Sydney on January 11,[184][185] and New York City on January 12.[186] Behind-the-scenes videos, titled Inside the Episode, were released on HBO Max and YouTube following each episode,[187][188] and Naughty Dog released Building The Last of Us, featuring interviews with the cast and crew of the series and games.[189][190] The first season was released digitally and on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on July 17.[191] and in the United States on July 18;[192] The release contains behind-the-scenes featurettes including a short film about adapting the game, a conversation with microbiology and parasitology experts, and the Inside the Episode series.[193]
In December 2023, HBO announced the second season is set to premiere in 2025.[194]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season The Last of Us has an approval rating of 96% based on 481 reviews, with an average rating of 8.75 out of 10.[211] Metacritic calculated an average of 84 out of 100 based on 43 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[212] Several reviewers considered it the best adaptation of a video game;[213][214][215] GameSpot's Mark Delaney wrote it "feels like the beginning of a new era" for the genre.[149] Reviewers praised the differences from the game's narrative,[149][216][217] and some believed the scenes lifted directly from the game were among the weakest and led to issues with pacing.[218][217][219] Critics overwhelmingly considered the third episode the season's best,[220][221][222] and some named it among the greatest episodes of television overall.[215][223] The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg felt it elevated the series to a new level,[224] and Empire's John Nugent called it "moving, surprisingly romantic, and one of the finest hours of television in recent memory".[225] Several critics lauded the production design;[225][226] Digital Spy's David Opie wrote "every set feels like it was ripped straight out of the game".[222]