This is a sentence I never thought I would type. The Last of Us airs its first episode tonight on HBO and HBO Max.
It feels surreal. please think about it.In just a few hours, Joel and Ellie will be introduced to the whole world in a whole new medium. The teams at Naughty Dog, HBO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, PlayStation Productions and, of course, the cast and crew members who have guided us to this historic moment.
We are especially excited that Pedro and Bella were able to play our iconic leads, Joel and Ellie. can’t wait for
Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog, also wants to send you a quick message.
“Working with Craig Mazin and the team at HBO to bring The Last of Us to life on TV has been an incredible honor (and one of the highlights of my life). I deeply believe it captures the soul of the game that many people fell in love with. As you can imagine, PlayStation and Naughty Dog fans were the first I’m super excited (and super nervous) to jump into an episode of and experience for myself the love that the cast and crew have put into this adaptation.From me and everyone at Naughty Dog, Thank you! This show exists only because of your incredible passion and support!
– Neil Druckmann, Co-President, Naughty Dog
And a quick note to The Last of Us veterans. HBO’s show follows a broad beat throughout the game’s story and is very true to tone and spirit. But I hope you’re not shocked that this isn’t a beat-by-beat, line-by-line adaptation of the game. Just the characters and the world, the places that felt true to the “soul” of The Last of Us. This was sometimes done to expand on ideas that were only briefly explored in games, or because they were better suited to the narrative structure of episodic shows.
But rest assured. The Last of Us remains true to the soul of the game. I hope you can join us tonight. Please let us know what you think.
