HBO is turning “The Last of Us” video game into a TV series
On Thursday, the premium cable network — owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Media — announced it is developing a “Last of Us” TV series based on the popular game in conjunction with Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions.
The game tells the story of Joel, a divorced single father turned smuggler with a dark and tragic past, who is tasked with smuggling a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States. The two struggle to stay alive in a dystopian world ravaged by the outbreak of a deadly disease that turns people into murderous monsters, similar to the “infected” wretches in the horror classic “28 Days Later.”
“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,'” Druckmann said in an emailed 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.”
In an emailed statement, HBO emphasized that the project is in development and declined to comment on a release date. It will be the first PlayStation video game to be turned into a TV series, according to an HBO spokesperson.