Slowly but surely, it seems HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us is coming together. Earlier this year, HBO announced that it found its Joel and Ellie – Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, two actors who rose to prominence in a certain HBO show called Game of Thrones – and now it looks like production has started on the show. Not only that, but we’re getting our first look at Joel and Ellie, though this is only a partial reveal.
That’s because, as you can see from the image below, we’re only getting to see Joel and Ellie’s backs for now. Still, the people who know say the duo depicted is Pascal and Ramsey in character, so this is indeed a picture of our two stars even if the angle leaves something to be desired.
.@PedroPascal1 and @BellaRamsey star as Joel and Ellie.
From @clmazin and @Neil_Druckmann, #TheLastofUs is now in production. @Naughty_Dog @PlayStation #TLOUDay pic.twitter.com/FFGGlJTuzN
— HBO (@HBO) September 27, 2021
With the arrival of this first still from the show comes confirmation that production on The Last of Us has started. Initially, we heard reports which claimed that filming began earlier in the summer but judging by HBO’s announcement, it looks like those reports were incorrect.
In any case, we know that the first season of The Last of Us will be an adaptation of the first game in the series. Set in a post-apocalyptic United States after a mutated form of the Cordyceps fungus has infected large groups of humans, Joel is tasked with smuggling Ellie – who is immune to Cordyceps infection – out of a quarantine zone and then eventually across the United States.
While we know that the show should closely follow the first game in the series, we’re also told to expect some deviations. Neil Druckmann, who wrote and directed the games, will serve as a writer and executive producer on the TV show along with Craig Mazin. No premiere date has been announced for HBO’s The Last of Us yet, but we’ll let you know when one is revealed.
Keyword: HBO’s The Last of Us shares first image of Joel and Ellie