Naughty Dog's The Last of Us has seen major news in recent months, with its sequel enjoying critical and financial success and the announcement of a television adaptation for HBO. The series is still in development, but show writer Craig Mazin recently offered insight into what he and Neil Druckmann are aiming for with the adaptation.
In an interview with BBC, Mazin acknowledged the passion that fans have for The Last of Us as a story before delving into his approach to the series, keeping in mind "we're going to be introducing this to a lot of new people, who don't know the story, of course." He went on to explain that despite this, gamers will be taken into consideration, "Our intention is that you will watch the show and say, 'this has violated nothing of what I loved about the game and what I witnessed in the game, but it has also brought me a whole lot more.'"
He clarified in the same interview that himself and Druckmann, the latter of which served as creative director on the critically-acclaimed video game, intended to expand on the story and characters and enhance them, taking advantage of the television show format.
The Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic United States, ravaged by a mutated Cordyceps fungus, which turns the infected into cannibalistic monsters. The game follows an embittered smuggler named Joel and a teenage girl named Ellie, who possesses the only known case of immunity against the fungus and therefore presents the world's only hope for a cure. The two travel cross-country, fighting or avoiding the infected and over time, forming a familial bond. Their bond forces Joel to make a difficult choice in the end.
A film adaptation was previously in the works, starting in 2014, with rumors suggesting Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams was attached along with producer Sam Raimi. The project was ultimately left in development hell.
HBO announced a live-action adaptation of the video game in March. The project is still in the early stages of development. Mazin has confirmed that the series has been mapped out but writing has yet to begin. No further details have been announced.
Written and produced by creator Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, HBO's The Last of Us does not yet have a cast or a release date.