HBO has announced via The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, that they have cast their main leads for the upcoming ‘The Last of Us’ television adaptation.
The role of Ellie was announced first, with Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey taking the role. A few hours later it was announced that fellow Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal will be cast in the role of Joel.
Based on the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
In addition to her memorable character on Game of Thrones, Ramsey has also appeared in HBO’s His Dark Materials, The Worst Witch, Two for Joy, and Princess Emmy. Pascal is coming off starring as the villain, Max Lord, in Wonder Woman 1984. Pascal gained major notoriety in his title role as The Mandalorian in the acclaimed Disney+ TV Series. The Narcos and Kingsman: The Golden Circle star is currently in production on Judd Apatow’s The Bubble for Netflix. Pascal reunites with Ramsey years after his role as Oberyn Martell on HBO’s mega-hit Game Of Thrones.
In January the premiere cable network announced that Beanpole helmer Kantemir Balagov will direct the pilot. Druckmann will team with Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin to pen the television adaptation. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, the Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog produce. Druckmann and Mazin executive produce alongside Carolyn Strauss, Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells, and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
The Last of Us has no release date announced at this time. Given this announcement and the recent news of Gina Carano being removed from all future Star Wars projects, it looks like any hopes of future adventures of The Mandalorian have been put on hold for a while.
