The Last of Us HBO series set for “early 2023” release date

We’re one step closer to a release date for The Last of Us HBO series: according to a studio executive, it’s coming in “early 2023.”

Video game adaptations haven’t always – or often – translated well to the screen. Disastrous examples include Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Postal, and Max Payne, while Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu, and the first Silent Hill movie are pretty much the best of the bunch.

However, the tide is turning with the help of a different medium: TV. The Witcher was met with acclaim on Netflix, Halo’s reception was mixed but mostly good, and Arcane just got nominated for an Emmy. We won’t talk about Resident Evil.

The Last of Us is the most anticipated video game adaptation in recent years, if not ever. It has the most prestigious studio backing it, an incredible cast, and the involvement of the original game’s creators.

The Last of Us HBO series release date set for “early 2023”

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter following the studio’s massive Emmys haul, with Succession leading the pack with a whopping 25 nominations, HBO boss Casey Bloys briefly discussed The Last of Us.

When asked what he’d be talking about this time next year, he said: “By that time, we’ll have gone through Sex Lives of College Girls Season 2, White Lotus 2, The Idol, The Last of Us, Succession, Julia, Hacks, Barry, and Righteous Gemstones. It’s a pretty packed lineup again. We could be talking about any number of those shows!”

Cloys was also asked when we should expect The Last of Us to hit our screens, to which he replied: “It’s closer to early 2023.”

The Last of Us HBO series: Cast, characters & plot

The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal will play Joel in the series, alongside Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Merle Dandridge will also play Marlene, with Storm Reid playing Riley, and Gabriel Luna playing Tommy.

The series is set to cover the events of the first game, which follow Joel and Ellie in their travels across a post-apocalyptic United States in the wake of a fungal plague. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there’s a “possibility” it’ll delve into Part II in the future.

For more details about The Last of Us HBO series, click here.