Video game adaptations are still viewed as relatively risky propositions given the continued inconsistency of the genre on both film and television, but that hasn’t stopped HBO from betting big on bringing classic console favorite The Last of Us to life.
It was already revealed prior to the start of shooting that it would be one of the largest productions to ever take place in Canada, with the most recent estimates indicating that the ten-episode first season could end up costing upwards of $100 million, with leading man Pedro Pascal netting the princely sum of $6 million for his efforts.
Filming started in July and won’t wrap until June of next year, so The Last of Us is epic in every sense of the word. Creator Neil Druckmann, who will also direct a handful of episodes, has revealed the first image from the series via his Twitter account, and you can check it out below.
As fans know, The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland decimated by a viral outbreak, with Pascal’s tormented Joel hired to smuggle Bella Ramsey’s Ellie out of a quarantine zone, forcing them to trek across the country and deal with any number of deadly and dangerous threats.
That’s a concept more than capable of drawing in audiences who may not even be aware that it’s a video game-inspired project, but looking at the schedule, the finished product might not even be hitting our screens until 2023.