The Last of Us - Season 1

Production: Timeline, news & updates

• 2016
  • Upon its release in 2013, The Last of Us was considered by many as a good choice for a film adaptation. Sam Raimi was attached to direct one of the adaptations but the movie languished in development hell and was never made. (Source: IGN)
• March 2020
  • HBO expresses interest in developing the video game into a television series that would cover the events of the original game and its sequel. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazizn join the project as writers and producers. (Source: Variety.)
• November 2020
  • The series is given the greenlight. Playstation’s Asad Qizibash and Carter Swan sign onto the project as producers. Johan Renick, who previously worked with Mazin on Chernobyl, leaves the series due to the pandemic and scheduling conflicts. Source: The Hollywood Reporter)
• August 2021
  • The series will be filmed in Alberta, Canada. It is expected to be the biggest production in Canadian history, with 200 million dollars of revenue for the province. (Source: Guild of Canada)
• March 2020
  • Gustavo Sanataolalla will produce the series’ music. The Argentine composer previously created the themes and some songs for Jane the Virgin and Making a Murderer.(Source: EFE)
• June 9, 2022
  • The first-look photo of the series is released. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey – who play Joel and and Ellie – are seen crouched down in a dark room, helping to set an ominous tone for upcoming show.( Source: Entertainment Weekly)
• July 12, 2022
  • HBO announces that The Last of Us will premiere in early 2023. Source: Entertainment Weekly)
• August 5, 2022
  • Images from the set show how meticulous the crew have been in accurately recreating specific scenes from the video game. (Source: ScreenRant)
• August 10, 2022
  • Characters from the video game Henry and Sam are cast with Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard playing the brothers. Both characters have had their backstory tweaked by the filmmakers. (Source: ScreenRant)
• August 21, 2022
  • The first footage of the series is revealed. The brief clips are shown in compilation with other upcoming HBO Max television shows. The shots show the main duo played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey trading lines about loss. (Source: Deadline)
• November 2, 2022
  • The series will be released in January 2023. Filmmaker Kantemir Balagov left the production of The Last of Us in 2021. (Source: The Playlist)
• December 3, 2022
  • The first trailer for the series was revealed at the CCXP22 panel in Sao Paulo. The trailer brings forward the main themes of the series, survival and hope in a dystopian future. (Source: Deadline)
• January 6, 2022
  • The Last of Us is confirmed to be releasing in select cinemas across New York three days before the streaming debut. A new featurette is also revealed showing Pedro Pascal in action as main character Joel struggling through a difficult moment. (Source: ScreenRant)
• January 15, 2023
  • The Last of Us was released on HBO Max.(Source: HBO Max)