Naughty Dog’s hit zombie survival horror game, The Last of Us, is receiving a TV adaptation by HBO, and it has a hefty budget behind it. You can expect high production quality and A-list performers if the latest information is anything to go by.
Filming for the series has begun in Canada, and filming crews for the show have descended upon the town of Fort Macleod in Alberta. Thanks to IATSE 212 President Damian Petti, a little more has been revealed regarding the sheer scale of production planned for the show. According to Petti, The Last of Us TV show will be making use of hundreds of technicians, and will be shooting in Alberta for twelve months.
Petti also hinted at how much money was being spent on this mammoth project. While he would not confirm the exact budget, he did state that it “well exceeds the eight figure per episode mark”. This is obviously an incredible positive for Fort Macleod and Alberta because, as Petti points out, the local businesses receive an economic boost.
It is not hard to see why The Last of Us would need a large budget. There already have been some big names revealed who are associated with the show. Bella Ramsey, who plays Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, will be starring as Ellie, while Pedro Pascal of The Mandalorian will play Joel. The casting for some of the secondary characters in the show have also been revealed. Jeff Pierce, who voices Joel’s brother Tommy in the game will appear in the TV adaptation as Perry, a rebel in a quarantine zone. Con O’ Niel, who recently appeared in the hit show Chernobyl, will play the survivalist Bill.
The adaptation certainly has hefty standards to live up to. Released in 2013, The Last of Us is a PS3 game that earned itself a cult following thanks to its hard-hitting emotional story of love, grief and loss. Since its release, it has sold over 20 million units and has won numerous Game of the Year awards.
It is set in a post-apocalyptic America that has been devastated by a fungal pandemic that has turned most of the population into bloodthirsty zombie-like creatures. Joel finds himself tasked with transporting Ellie across the country to locate a faction known as the Fireflies. Inexplicably, Ellie is immune to the infection, hence she may be the species’s last hope of a cure. As they make their treacherous journey, Joel and Ellie bond, and in doing so they carry the last slivers of humanity in a dying world.
According to the Director’s Guild of Canada, production for the show is only set to wrap up in June 2022, so do not expect to see it on your screens until then. With a sizeable budget supporting it, hopefully The Last of Us TV show will avoid the pitfalls of many adaptations before it, and manage to be as spectacular as its source material.
Published: Jul 18, 2021 11:14 am