“The Last of Us” is being developed as a new series at HBO with “Chernobyl” creator Craig Mazin spearheading the project…
The popular video game “The Last of Us” may finally come alive on the small screen with a series currently in the works at HBO.
Craig Mazin — best known as the creator behind the massively successful “Chernobyl” limited series — is developing the project alongside Neil Druckmann, who is the original writer and director from “The Last of Us” video game.
“The Last of Us” was a hugely popular video game first released in 2013 for the Sony Playstation. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has infected millions around the world, turning them into mindless, rabid savages similar to the rage zombies in “28 Days Later.” The lead character in the story is a smuggler named Joel, who is hired to safely transport a 14-year-old girl named Elle across the country. It turns out Elle is infected with this deadly disease but she never transformed into one of the mindless zombies and the hope is that she might be able to create a vaccine that could finally serve as a cure for the infected.
“Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus,” Mazin said about the project. “Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
Mazin is reportedly an avid fan of “The Last of Us” video game so it stands to reason that he’d want to work on this project alongside Druckmann, who will get to see his vision transform into a series on HBO.
“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 a 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.”
“The Last of Us” sold more than 17 million copies following its initial release and the game went into win all sorts of awards. A sequel to the game is expected to drop in May and there’s a possibility that part of the story from that could also bleed over into the series that’s being developed for HBO.
H/T: The Hollywood Reporter
