Naughty Dog’s hit zombie game “The Last of Us” is being turned into a television series for HBO, with game creator/writer Neil Druckmann on board to co-write and produce, and THR reports tonight that the role of co-lead Ellie has now been cast. “Game of Thrones” actress Bella Ramsey will play Ellie, a teenager who may be key to a cure for a deadly pandemic.
Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole) will be directing the pilot episode.
The site reports, “The series takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, 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.”
As expected, the debut season is set to adapt the first game in the series.
Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”) is developing the series for HBO, and he’ll be working with Neil Druckmann to write and executive produce the small screen adaptation.
Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog produce.
