During San Diego Comic-Con a few months back, news broke that the long-rumored adaptation of Sony’s critically-adorned survival horror title, The Last of Us, was in the works at Screen Gems with the Evil Dead’s Sam Raimi on board as producer. With creative director Neil Druckmann also overseeing the rendition, the project began to garner the attention of the gaming community, who have long seen their favourite IPs trashed or warped beyond recognition on the big screen.
For The Last of Us, though, early indications reveal that Screen Gems is trying to remain as loyal to the revered source material as possible, with reports suggesting that Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams could be in line to play the role of Ellie.
And, in a recent interview with Flicks and the City, the young actress provided a brief update on the potential casting, stating that she would “love” to play the part.
“It kind of all came about through Twitter a long time ago. The power of Twitter still never ceases to amaze me. Honestly I would love to [take on the role] and that’s where it is at the moment. There’s no script, no director and it’s still very early days for the whole project. If it all goes ahead soon enough then yeah, I would love to.”
Alas, it seems as though Williams is game for The Last of Us should Screen Gems get the wheels in motion sooner rather than later — a move that surely depends on finding a suitable director.
Given her notable performances in HBO’s fantasy epic, it’s no wonder that Williams has emerged as the prime candidate for the role of Ellie. In fact, having travelled across the northern regions of Westeros with The Hound — a dynamic that echoes Joel and Ellie’s relationship from the game — the actress may just be the perfect fit for Screen Gem’s take on Naughty Dog’s seminal title.
We’ll have much more information regarding The Last of Us movie as it appears. In the meantime, you can share your own thoughts on Maisie Williams’ potential casting in the comments.