2 Attachment(s)
Why HBO's The Last Of Us Is Taking So Long (& Why It's A Good Thing)
Despite reports that HBO's adaptation of the popular game The Last of Us would be released in 2022, a 2023 release date has now been confirmed instead - here's why that's good. Adaptation talks have been ongoing since the release of the first game in 2013. Five months after The Last of Us Part II came out in 2020, HBO greenlit a TV show adaptation of the game series. This means that by the time the show comes out, it will have been in production for three years. The recent trailer release for The Last of Us has left audiences even more excited to see the series, but it's actually a good sign that it's taking so long.
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic action story, following smuggler Joel and his teenage ward, Ellie. Joel and Ellie, originally voiced by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, will be played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the series. The pair must survive in a world infected by a fungal disease that turns its victims into terrifying cannibalistic creatures. The Last of Us game was an instant bestseller and won multiple awards, with much praise focused on its narrative, characters, and world-building. Naturally, the show adaptation comes with a lot of hype.
The reported 2022 release date for The Last of Us was initially reported by The Hollywood Reporter, but later corrected by HBO, who stated an early 2023 release should be expected. The long filming timeline was necessary for the series to get the world right. Although there will be some changes from The Last of Us game, the series seems to be making every effort to recreate the familiar setting. The bulk of filming took place in Calgary, but sets had to be made to look like post-apocalyptic Boston, which meant a lot of special effects were needed. These effects contributed to the 10 million dollar budget that the show spent per episode, as well as the long filming time. Also, it's been confirmed that the 10 episodes of the first season of The Last of Us will cover the events of the first game, which took place over a year. This meant that filming had to take place during the correct time periods, from spring to winter, even though the wider plot timeframe has been changed, taking place in 2003 in The Last of Us TV series instead of 2013 as in the game.
Why The Last Of Us TV Series Wait Is Good
The later release date shows that the team isn't rushing to get the show out, which means they really care about getting it right. Neil Druckmann, one of the writers of the series, also wrote and directed the game, and the series' other writer, Craig Mazin, is a fan of the game, so the show is clearly in good hands with people who really care about this story and world. Thanks to this long wait time, the show is more likely to live up to the audience's high expectations. This is much better than the potential disappointment of a rushed adaptation.
It's anticipated that the show will run for up to eight seasons, which makes it even more important to get this first season right, and HBO seems to be going about it the right way. As well as including the most important scenes from the game, The Last of Us series will include content that was cut from the game as part of the series' goal to focus more on drama than action. With the 2022 re-release of The Last of Us game, new fans have a chance to be introduced to the world ahead of the series release. It may seem like a long wait right now, but if the quality of the images and footage already released is any indication, the wait will almost certainly be worth it.
