HBO adapting video game The Last of Us as a TV series with Chernobyl's creator

The Hollywood Reporter

In a rare move, Craig Mazin, who won two Emmys last year for HBO's acclaimed limited series Chernobyl, is teaming with Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director of the award-winning SonyPlaystation video game, for The Last of Us TV series adaptation. They'll be joined by former Game of Thrones and Chernobyl executive producer Carolyn Strauss. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in The Last of Us, "Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the14-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. The HBO series will cover the events of the original game, which was written by Druckmann, with the possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel, The Last of Us Part II, which will release on May 29, 2020." Mazin is said to be an avid player of the video game. "Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus," he said in a statement. "Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I'm so honored to do it in partnership with Neil." Druckmann added: "From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us. With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn't think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show."