The Last of Us | |
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Based on | The Last of Us by Naughty Dog [a] |
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Starring | |
Theme music composer | Gustavo Santaolalla |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 9 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production location | Canada |
Cinematography |
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Running time | 43–81 minutes |
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Original release | |
Network | HBO |
Release | January 15, 2023 – present |
The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and causes the collapse of society. The first season, based on 2013's The Last of Us , follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting immune teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. The second season, expected to partly adapt 2020's The Last of Us Part II , is set five years later and introduces Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
Guest stars include Nico Parker as Joel's daughter Sarah, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, Anna Torv as Joel's partner Tess, Gabriel Luna as Joel's brother Tommy, Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Montreal Woodard as brothers Henry and Sam, and Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce as resistance leader Kathleen and her second-in-command Perry. The second season is set to introduce Isabela Merced as Ellie's romantic interest Dina and Young Mazino as Dina's ex Jesse.
The first season was filmed in Alberta from July 2021 to June 2022, while the second season was filmed in British Columbia from February to August 2024. It is the first HBO series based on a video game, and is a joint production by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games. Druckmann, who wrote and co-directed the games, assisted Mazin with scriptwriting for the first season's nine episodes, joined by Halley Gross, who co-wrote the second game, and Bo Shim for the second season's seven episodes. The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, who composed for the games, and David Fleming.
The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023. It received acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, production design, and score; several called it the best adaptation of a video game. It won several awards, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards out of 24 nominations. Across linear channels and HBO Max, the series premiere was watched by almost 40 million viewers within two months; the series averaged almost 32 million viewers per episode by May, and it became HBO's most watched debut season. The second season is set to premiere in April 2025, and a third season is in development.
Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
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First released | Last released | |||
1 | 9 | January 15, 2023 | March 12, 2023 | |
2 | 7 [63] | April 2025 [64] | TBA |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
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1 | 1 | "When You're Lost in the Darkness" | Craig Mazin | Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann | January 15, 2023 | 0.588 [65] |
2 | 2 | "Infected" | Neil Druckmann | Craig Mazin | January 22, 2023 | 0.633 [66] |
3 | 3 | "Long, Long Time" | Peter Hoar | Craig Mazin | January 29, 2023 | 0.747 [67] |
4 | 4 | "Please Hold to My Hand" | Jeremy Webb | Craig Mazin | February 5, 2023 | 0.991 [68] |
5 | 5 | "Endure and Survive" | Jeremy Webb | Craig Mazin | February 12, 2023 [b] | 0.382 [70] |
6 | 6 | "Kin" | Jasmila Žbanić | Craig Mazin | February 19, 2023 | 0.841 [71] |
7 | 7 | "Left Behind" | Liza Johnson | Neil Druckmann | February 26, 2023 | 1.083 [72] |
8 | 8 | "When We Are in Need" | Ali Abbasi | Craig Mazin | March 5, 2023 | 1.039 [73] |
9 | 9 | "Look for the Light" | Ali Abbasi | Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann | March 12, 2023 | 1.040 [74] |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by [75] [76] | Written by [77] | Original release date [64] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
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10 | 1 | TBA | Craig Mazin | Craig Mazin | April 2025 | TBD |
11 | 2 | TBA | Mark Mylod | Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
12 | 3 | TBA | Peter Hoar | Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
13 | 4 | TBA | Kate Herron | Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
14 | 5 | TBA | Stephen Williams | Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
15 | 6 | TBA | Neil Druckmann | Neil Druckmann & Halley Gross & Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
16 | 7 | TBA | Nina Lopez-Corrado | Neil Druckmann & Halley Gross & Craig Mazin | 2025 | TBD |
A film adaptation of Naughty Dog's 2013 video game The Last of Us was announced in 2014, to be written by original writer and creative director Neil Druckmann; [79] it entered development hell by 2016, [80] and the rights had relinquished by 2019, [81] when Druckmann met Craig Mazin. [81] They agreed The Last of Us required a television series' length and pacing. [82] HBO announced the series was in planning stages in March 2020, written by Mazin and Druckmann, also serving as executive producers with Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells. [78] It is PlayStation Productions's first show, [78] [83] announced as a joint production with Sony Pictures Television and Naughty Dog. [84] HBO greenlit the series in November, adding executive producers Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan and production company Word Games, [84] followed by production company the Mighty Mint in January 2021 [85] and executive producer Rose Lam in February. [23] Produced by Greg Spence and Cecil O'Connor, [86] the first season's ten-episode count was reduced to nine during production. [87] [88]
On January 27, 2023, less than two weeks after the premiere, HBO renewed the series for a second season. [89] While the first season covers the events of the first game and its downloadable expansion The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014), [90] the second is set to immediately cover the sequel, The Last of Us Part II (2020), to avoid filler. [91] Part II is expected to span multiple seasons; Mazin confirmed plans for a "significantly larger" third season if the second is successful, and suspected the story may require a fourth. [63] The series' narrative is not set to overtake the games. [63] Jacqueline Lesko was named an executive producer in March 2023, [92] and O'Connor by February 2024. [61] In January 2024, Kate Herron, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Mark Mylod, and Stephen Williams were announced as directors for the second season alongside Druckmann, Hoar, and Mazin. [93] In June, Mazin and Druckmann revealed the season would consist of seven episodes. [63]
The Last of Us is the largest television production to be filmed in Alberta [94] and possibly the largest in Canadian history, [95] [96] [97] generating CA$182 million for Alberta and creating 1,490 jobs. [98] According to Canadian artists union IATSE 212, the production led to a 30 percent increase in union membership and employment. [99] The first season's budget of over CA$100 million—more than $10 million per episode [97] [100] —exceeded that of each of Game of Thrones 's first five seasons. [8] The budget is set to increase for the second season. [101]
Casting took place virtually through Zoom due to the pandemic. [102] Casting director Victoria Thomas wanted to honor the game without being limited by it. [103] On February 10, 2021, Pascal and Ramsey were cast as Joel and Ellie. [5] [6] The producers sought actors who could embody Joel and Ellie individually and imitate their relationship. [104] : 14:42 Though both were featured on HBO's Game of Thrones, Pascal and Ramsey had not met before the filming of The Last of Us began but found they had instant chemistry, which developed over production. [105]
Mazin and Thomas sought high-profile guest stars; Thomas said many of the actors "don't usually do one-episode guest spots". [106] Guest roles were announced throughout 2021: Luna in April, [107] Dandridge in May, [17] Parker in June, [13] Pierce, Bartlett, and Torv in July, [30] [21] and Offerman in December. [28] This was followed by Reid in January 2022, [48] Baker and Ashley Johnson in June, [55] Lamar Johnson, Woodard, Greene, and Miles in August, [32] Lynskey in September, [34] Shepherd in December, [108] and Wesley in January 2023. [45]
Casting for the second season was put on hold in May 2023 due to the Writers Guild of America strike; actors had been auditioning with scenes from The Last of Us Part II due to an absence of scripts. [109] The production team wanted to start the second season's casting with Abby. [101] [110] Dever, Mazino, and Merced's casting was announced in January 2024, [57] [58] [59] followed by O'Hara's in February, [61] Ramirez, Barer, Gabrielle, and Lord's in March, [60] and Wright's in May. [62]
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama and thriller. [111] [112] [113] Mazin wrote all first-season episodes except the premiere and finale, which he co-wrote with Druckmann, and the seventh episode, written by Druckmann. [114] A writers' room was established for the second season, [115] with Mazin and Druckmann joined by Halley Gross, who co-wrote Part II with Druckmann, and Bo Shim, a new writer. [4] Mazin wrote the first five second-season episodes and co-wrote the final two with Druckmann and Gross. [77] Druckmann was convinced Mazin was the ideal creative partner for the series after witnessing his passion for the game's story. [91] The writers avoided making "a zombie show", [116] acknowledging the infected creatures were a vessel through which characters are pressured to make interesting decisions and reveal their true selves. [102] Content cut from the game was added to the show. [117] Druckmann said some scripts borrow dialogue directly from the game, while others deviate; some of the game's action-heavy sequences were changed to focus on character drama at the encouragement of HBO. [118] Mazin compared the process to adapting a novel, with identical emotional beats despite different narrative events. [119]
Druckmann felt the most important element of adapting the game was to "keep the soul", particularly character relationships, whereas gameplay and action sequences were of minimal importance. [120] He was open to changing aspects of the games but wanted a strong reason, [121] ensuring he and Mazin considered impacts on later narrative events. [90] The game's outbreak takes place in 2013 with its post-apocalyptic narrative in 2033; this was changed to 2003 and 2023 as the writers felt the events taking place simultaneously with broadcast was more interesting and did not fundamentally change the story. [122] [123] They added the outbreak's origins to ground the narrative; following COVID-19, they recognized audiences are more knowledgeable about viral pandemics. [116] The writers removed spores—the vector through which infection is spread in the games—and replaced it with tendrils forming a unified network, inspired by the idea of mycelium. [116] The writers found the series an opportunity to delve into backstories of characters who the game otherwise ignored, wanting to better understand their motivations. [124]
The first season filmed for 200 days, with around 18–19 days per episode, amounting to 2–3 pages of script per day. [81] Filming began in Calgary, Alberta, on July 12, 2021. [125] [126] It moved to High River and Fort Macleod in July, [127] [128] and Calgary in August. [129] Around CA$372,000 was spent for a four-day shoot in Downtown Edmonton in October. [130] Filming moved to Calgary in October and November, [131] [132] and Canmore in November. [133] Production took place in Okotoks and Waterton Lakes National Park in February 2022, [134] [135] Calgary from March to May, [136] [137] [138] Olds in May and June, [139] and High River in June. [140] Production concluded on June 11, [141] [142] followed by additional photography in Kansas City in October. [143]
The second season was filmed in British Columbia under the working title Mega Sword. [145] [146] [147] Delayed by the writers' and actors' strikes, [148] production began on February 12, 2024, [144] [149] with filming taking place in Kamloops, Mission, Fort Langley, and Langley. [150] [151] [152] Production returned to Calgary in March, including in Exshaw and along Highway 1A, [153] and moved to Britannia Beach in April, June, and July, [154] [155] Downtown Eastside and Nanaimo in May, [156] [157] Chinatown, Downtown Vancouver, and New Westminster in July, [158] [159] [160] and Gastown in August. [161] Production concluded on August 23, [162] followed by additional photography in Downtown Vancouver in September. [163]
According to Production Bulletin, the third season is expected to begin filming in Vancouver in mid-2025. [164]
Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming composed the score for the television series; [165] [166] Santaolalla, who worked on the video games, wrote its opening theme. [167] He said Latino viewers "will recognize touches" of his music, [168] and drew on his experiences in film and television, having composed the themes and some tracks for Jane the Virgin (2014–2019) and Making a Murderer (2015–2018). [168] He primarily recrafted his previous work instead of creating new music, focusing on elements he found interesting. [169] Fleming's work was inspired by real-world sounds within a decayed civilization. [166] A 66-track soundtrack album for the series was released digitally on February 27. [169]
The first episode features the song "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode due to its blend of upbeat sounds and dark lyrics; [170] [171] : 40:25 it returned in the sixth episode, performed by Mazin's daughter Jessica, to demonstrate Ellie feeling let down by Joel. [172] [173] The third episode uses "Long, Long Time" by Linda Ronstadt, which exhibits themes of unfulfilled love and how time heals wounds, echoing Bill and Frank's relationship; [174] streams increased significantly following the episode's broadcast. [175] [176] [177] The fourth episode's title references the lyrics of "Alone and Forsaken" by Hank Williams. [178] : 1:01 The seventh episode features "All or None" by Pearl Jam to represent Ellie's loneliness and uncomfortability, [179] : 7:28 reuses Etta James's version of "I Got You Babe" from Left Behind as its romantic lyrics hidden by joyous music mirrored Ellie and Riley's feelings, [179] : 56:28 and uses A-ha's "Take On Me" to reflect their feelings towards each other and illustrate Ellie's journey. [180]
Five art directors and hundreds of technicians worked on the first season, [97] and the game's artists provided feedback on costumes and sets. [102] Costume designer Cynthia Ann Summers found the series more difficult than fantasy or period pieces as the costumes had to be integral to the story without standing out. [182] Production designer John Paino referenced the game but focused on Naughty Dog's own references. He created an image collage which included a photograph of reassembled chairs, which Mazin considered the show's mandate: "the built world is unbuilt and rebuilt". [183]
Barrie and Sarah Gower, with whom Mazin had worked on Chernobyl, created the prosthetics for the infected. [184] : 0:31 [185] [186] Mazin wanted the clickers to resemble the in-game design through prosthetics; he felt using visual effects would have lessened their impact. [187] : 18:24 Choreographer Terry Notary wanted the creatures' movements to imitate each other, akin to schools of fish. [188] Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats, who had worked on the games, [c] returned to voice the clickers for the series. [189]
The first season was edited by Timothy A. Good and Emily Mendez; [8] Mark Hartzell edited the second episode, [190] and Cindy Mollo edited the eighth. [86] [191] Mendez worked as Good's assistant editor on the third episode [192] and his co-editor for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth. [193] : 27:35 Good and Mendez are set to edit the second season. [194] [195] Sixteen visual effects teams worked on the series, [196] [197] supervised by Alex Wang. [8] The first season had over 3,000 visual effects shots; [145] most episodes had around 250. [196] The 650-person team at DNEG worked on 535 shots for the season over 18 months, primarily focusing on environmental effects; field trips were conducted to gather resources, and the team regularly referenced the video games. [198] The visual effects teams consulted with Naughty Dog's concept artists when creating the infected, [8] and used timelapse videos of Cordyceps growth as animation references. [188] Design studio Elastic created the title sequence to demonstrate the "unrelenting nature" of the fungus. [199] [200]
The first season premiered in the United States on January 15, 2023. [88] It was broadcast on HBO in the United States, [201] and is available to stream in 4K resolution on HBO Max. [202] The first episode received its red carpet world premiere in Westwood, Los Angeles, on January 9, [203] followed by theater screenings in Budapest and Sydney on January 11, [204] [205] and New York City on January 12. [206] Behind-the-scenes videos, titled Inside the Episode, were released on HBO Max and YouTube following each episode, [207] [208] and Naughty Dog released Building The Last of Us, featuring interviews with the cast and crew of the series and games. [209] [210] The first season was released digitally and on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on July 17, [211] and in the United States on July 18, [212] containing behind-the-scenes featurettes including a short film about adapting the game, a conversation with microbiology and parasitology experts, and the Inside the Episode series. [213]
The second season is set to premiere in April 2025. [64]
The Last of Us's marketing campaign utilised "breadcrumb content": small teases to maintain engagement. [215] Emily Giannusa, HBO vice president of marketing, planned promotional material to prove faithfulness to the source but discovered it was unnecessary as fans created it themselves. [215] The marketing team conducted social listening from 2020 to identify non-gaming influencers interested in the series. [216] HBO shared the first image of Pascal and Ramsey in costume in September 2021. [217] The first footage was revealed in a HBO Max trailer during the premiere of House of the Dragon in August 2022. [218] [219] The first teaser trailer was released in September, [34] receiving over 17 million views in less than 24 hours [220] and over 57 million organic views in 72 hours, the most-watched promotional video in HBO's history. [215]
The first full trailer was released at CCXP in December, [108] [221] marking the promotional campaign "kicking into high gear". [216] Pascal, Ramsey, Baker, and Ashley Johnson presented at The Game Awards 2022 on December 8. [214] HBO announced Baker would host a companion podcast alongside the series, featuring Mazin and Druckmann. [222] A season trailer was released after the airing of the first episode on January 15. [223] Pascal, Ramsey, Bartlett, and Offerman appeared on several talk shows to promote the series, [224] [225] [226] [227] and Pascal and Ramsey appeared on covers of The Hollywood Reporter and Wired . [91] [7] On January 27, the first episode was released for free on HBO Max in the United States, and on Sky's YouTube channel in the United Kingdom. [228] [229]
HBO shared the first images of Pascal and Ramsey in the second season on May 15, 2024, [230] the first footage on August 4, [231] and the first trailer and posters on September 26. [12] A trailer was released as part of Sony's Consumer Electronics Show presentation on January 6, 2025. [64]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of The Last of Us has an approval rating of 96% based on 486 reviews, with an average rating of 8.75 out of 10. [232] Metacritic calculated a weighted average of 84 out of 100 based on 44 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [233] Several reviewers considered it the best adaptation of a video game; [234] [235] [236] GameSpot 's Mark Delaney called it "the beginning of a new era" for the genre. [167] Reviewers praised the differences from the game's narrative, [167] [237] [238] and some believed the scenes lifted directly from the game were among the weakest and led to issues with pacing. [239] [238] [240] Critics overwhelmingly considered the third episode the season's best, [241] [242] [243] and some named it among the greatest television episodes in recent years; [236] [244] The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg felt it elevated the series to a new level, [245] and Empire 's John Nugent called it "one of the finest hours of television in recent memory". [246] Several critics lauded the production design for matching the game. [246] [247] [243]
The cast's performances in the first season received widespread acclaim, with critics singling out Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry. [234] [248] [249] Some considered Pascal's performance his career-best, citing his ability to portray nuance and rare vulnerability, [241] [246] and several found Ramsey gave the show's breakout performance for their balance of comedy and emotion. [236] [237] [250] Guest performances were highly praised, [251] [243] [250] including Parker for her likeability, [252] Torv for being sophisticated and heartbreaking, [253] and Lynskey for juxtaposing humanity and viciousness. [254] [255] Critics enjoyed the chemistry between Pascal and Luna, [256] [257] and Ramsey and Reid. [258] [259] Offerman and Bartlett's performances were described by Complex 's William Goodman as "career-best". [247] IGN 's Simon Cardy lauded Lamar Johnson's emotional performance in his final scene, [260] and Total Film 's Bradley Russell felt the naivety of Woodard's role intensified the narrative. [261] The A.V. Club 's David Cote called Shepherd's performance "masterful in its wry, understated charm". [262]
The premiere episode had 4.7 million viewers in the United States on its first night of availability, including linear viewers and streams on HBO Max, making it the second-largest debut for HBO since 2010, behind House of the Dragon. [263] The total viewing figure increased to almost 40 million within two months. [264] In Latin America, the series premiere was the biggest HBO Max debut ever. [265] The video games increased their sales following the premiere. [266] [267] The second episode had 5.7 million viewers on its first night, an increase of 22 percent from the previous week, the largest second-week audience growth for an original HBO drama series in the network's history. [268] The first two episodes averaged 21.3 million viewers by January 31, [269] the first five almost 30 million by March 6, [270] and the first six 30.4 million by March 12, the highest figure for an HBO series since Game of Thrones's eighth season, surpassing House of the Dragon's ten-episode average. [271] With over three million viewers in the United Kingdom, the ninth episode became Sky's most-viewed finale for an American debut series, topping House of the Dragon's first-season finale. [272] The series broke HBO's subscription video on demand viewer ratings in Europe, and became the most-watched show on HBO Max in Europe and Latin America. [273] [274] By May, the series averaged almost 32 million viewers per episode in the United States. [274] It was HBO's most-watched debut season ever. [275]
The Last of Us is the first live-action video game adaptation to receive major awards consideration. [276] It was nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards, with a leading eight wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including for Offerman and Reid. [277] From major guilds, it won two awards at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (including Best Actor for Pascal) [278] and one at the Directors Guild of America Awards [279] and Writers Guild of America Awards, [280] and received two nominations at the Producers Guild of America Awards. [281] It was nominated for three Critics' Choice Television Awards, [282] three Golden Globe Awards, [283] and five TCA Awards, [284] and led the Astra Creative Arts TV Awards with six nominations. [285] In genre awards, the series was nominated for five Saturn Awards. [286] It led the MTV Movie & TV Awards with three wins, including Best Show, [287] and was nominated for six awards at the People's Choice Awards, including Show of the Year. [288] The series earned the biannual Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for Woodard's role as Sam. [289]
Neil Druckmann is an Israeli–American writer, creative director, designer, and programmer. He is the studio head and head of creative of the video game developer Naughty Dog, and is best known for his work on the game franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us, having co-created the latter.
The Last of Us, a 2013 action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog, deals with the relationship between smuggler Joel, and Ellie. Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against an infection to which Ellie is immune. The relationship between the two characters became the basis of the game's development.
Ellie is a character in the video game series The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. She is portrayed by Ashley Johnson through motion capture and voice acting; in the television adaptation, she is portrayed by Bella Ramsey. In the first game, The Last of Us (2013), Joel Miller is tasked with escorting a 14-year-old Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. While players briefly assume control of Ellie, the artificial intelligence primarily controls her actions. Ellie reappeared as the playable character in the downloadable content prequel The Last of Us: Left Behind, in which she spends time with her friend Riley. In The Last of Us Part II (2020), players control a 19-year-old Ellie as she seeks revenge on Abby.
"Endure and Survive" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. The episode was written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Jeremy Webb. It was released online on HBO Max and HBO on Demand on February 10, 2023, ahead of its broadcast on HBO on February 12. In the episode, Joel and Ellie agree to escape Kansas City, Missouri, with Henry and his brother Sam, who are being hunted by bandit leader Kathleen and her second-in-command Perry.
Joel Miller is a character in the video game series The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. In the games, he is portrayed by Troy Baker through motion capture and voice acting; in the television adaptation, he is portrayed by Pedro Pascal. In the first game, The Last of Us (2013), Joel serves as the main protagonist and is tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. He also appears briefly in the downloadable content campaign The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014). Joel is killed in The Last of Us Part II (2020) by a woman named Abby, whose father he murdered in the first game, prompting Ellie to seek revenge.
Halley Wegryn Gross is an American screenwriter and actress. She is best known for writing two 2016 episodes of the HBO series Westworld and co-writing the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II.
Abigail "Abby" Anderson is a character in the video game The Last of Us Part II (2020) by Naughty Dog. She is portrayed by Laura Bailey through motion capture and voice acting in the game, and Kaitlyn Dever in the second season of the television adaptation. A soldier of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), Abby seeks to avenge her father's death by killing Joel Miller. Her alliances later become unsettled when she befriends two ex-members of the Seraphites, a religious cult with which the WLF is locked in a war. Abby is one of two main playable characters in the game, alongside Ellie.
The Last of Us is an action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by cannibalistic humans infected by a mutated fungus in the genus Cordyceps. It follows several survivors, including Joel, a smuggler who lost his daughter during the outbreak; Ellie, a young girl who is immune to the infection; and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The games use a third-person perspective in which the player fights against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures with firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth.
"When You're Lost in the Darkness" is the series premiere of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and directed by Mazin, the episode aired on HBO on January 15, 2023. The first episode of the first season, it introduced Joel and his daughter Sarah during the chaos of a global pandemic outbreak caused by a mutated form of the Cordyceps fungus that turns its victims into bloodthirsty attackers. Twenty years later, Joel and Tess set out to find Joel's brother Tommy and are tasked with smuggling the young Ellie in exchange for supplies.
"Infected" is the second episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. It was written and directed by series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, respectively; Druckmann wrote and co-directed the 2013 video game on which the series is based. The episode aired on HBO on January 22, 2023. In the episode, Joel and his partner Tess escort the young Ellie through a biological contamination area in Boston to reach the Massachusetts State House.
"Long, Long Time" is the third episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Peter Hoar, it aired on HBO on January 29, 2023. In the episode, Joel and Ellie travel to Lincoln, Massachusetts, to find Bill. Flashbacks follow Bill over twenty years as he survives in his town and meets his partner Frank. The episode's title is taken from the 1970 song by Linda Ronstadt, which plays an important role in Bill and Frank's relationship.
"Please Hold to My Hand" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Jeremy Webb, it aired on HBO on February 5, 2023. In the episode, Joel and Ellie encounter an ambush in Kansas City, Missouri. Elsewhere in the city, bandit leader Kathleen, her second-in-command Perry, and their group search for Henry and his brother Sam.
"Kin" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Jasmila Žbanić, it aired on HBO on February 19, 2023. In the episode, Joel and Ellie travel to Jackson, Wyoming, where they find Joel's brother Tommy and his wife Maria.
"Left Behind" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Neil Druckmann and directed by Liza Johnson, it aired on HBO on February 26, 2023. In the episode, Ellie searches for supplies to save Joel. A flashback follows Ellie as she spends time with her best friend Riley Abel in Boston.
"When We Are in Need" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Ali Abbasi, it aired on HBO on March 5, 2023. In the episode, Ellie attempts to protect Joel. She encounters a group of survivors led by a preacher, David, who wants vengeance against Joel and shows interest in Ellie.
The first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us was originally broadcast on HBO between January and March 2023. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. The first season, based on the 2013 game The Last of Us, follows Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting the immune teenager Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States.
The second season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us is set to premiere on HBO in April 2025. Based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. The second season, based on the 2020 game The Last of Us Part II, follows Joel and Ellie five years after the events of the first season, and introduces Abby.
"Look for the Light" is the ninth and final episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, and directed by Ali Abbasi, it aired on HBO on March 12, 2023. In the episode, Joel and Ellie arrive in Salt Lake City, Utah, in search for the hospital run by the Fireflies, led by Marlene. A flashback follows Ellie's mother, Anna, as she gives birth.
The Last of Us, an American post-apocalyptic drama television series for HBO based on the video game franchise, focuses on the relationship between Joel and Ellie. The first season, based on the 2013 game, is set in 2023, twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. Joel, a smuggler, is tasked with escorting the immune teenager Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States.
The music for the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming. Santaolalla composed the music for the video game franchise on which the series is based, including The Last of Us (2013) and The Last of Us Part II (2020). Several of Santaolalla's tracks from the video games were reused throughout the series; his work on the series focused on recrafting his previous material and working with silence, while Fleming created original music inspired by real-world sounds within a decayed civilization, making use of sampling techniques.