Following its announcement as a project ‘in development’ earlier this year, HBO has officially greenlit a live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us video game series.
HBO’s approval of the project was first revealed on November 20th, alongside information that the series would be written and executively produced by ‘Chernobyl’ creator Craig Mazin in collaboration with Naughty Dog VP and The Last of Us II creative director and co-lead writer, Neil Druckmann.
The Last of Us will mark Mazin’s first project since the conclusion of his critically-acclaimed Soviet nuclear drama.
The project will be a co-production between Sony Pictures Television and Playstation Productions, the studio behind the Heavenly Sword and Ratchet & Clank silver screen adaptations, and will be the latter’s first television project.
HBO Programming Executive Vice President Francesca Orsi praised Mazin and Druckmann as “visionaries in a league of their own,” and optimistically asserted that “with them at the helm alongside the incomparable Carolyn Strauss, this series is sure to resonate with both die-hard fans of ‘The Last of Us’ games and newcomers to this genre-defining saga.”
“We’re delighted to partner with Naughty Dog, Word Games, Sony and PlayStation to adapt this epic, powerfully immersive story,” she added.
“We’re thrilled to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring ‘The Last of Us’ series to life,” exclaimed Sony Pictures Television Studios President Jeff Frost and PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash. “PlayStation’s innovative storytelling and ingenuity is a natural complement to SPT’s creative focus. Our collaboration is a great example of our ‘One Sony’ philosophy at work. We look forward to developing even more iconic game IP in the future.”
As of writing, it is unknown whether the adaptation will cover all three titles in the franchise, including the Left Behind expansion, or focus its early efforts solely on the events of the first game.
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