‘The Last of Us’ series gets green light from HBO

Craig Mazin, of “Chernobyl,” writes the show with Neil Druckmann, creative director of the video game mega-seller.

HBO kicks off playing a serial adaptation of The last of us.

The premium cable picked up drama based on Craig Mazin’s hugely popular video game franchise (Chernobyl) and game writer and creative director Neil Druckmann. HBO and Sony Pictures TV produce with PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and game developer Naughty Dog.

“Craig and Neil are visionaries in a league of their own,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming. With them at the helm alongside the incomparable Carolyn Strauss, this series is sure to resonate with both die-hard fans of The last of us games and newcomers to this genre-defining saga. We’re excited to partner with Naughty Dog, Word Games, Sony, and PlayStation to bring this epic and powerfully immersive story to life. “

The last of us series takes place 20 years after the destruction of modern civilization. It focuses on Joel, a hardened survivor of the apocalypse, who was hired to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone. The seemingly small job becomes a brutal journey as they come to depend on each other for survival.

“We’re excited to be working with HBO and this fantastic creative team to bring The last of us “Said Jeff Frost, president of Sony Pictures TV Studios, and Asad Qizilbash, director of PlayStation Productions.” PlayStation’s innovative storytelling and ingenuity are a natural complement to SPT’s creative direction. Our collaboration is a great example of our “One Sony” philosophy at work. We look forward to developing even more iconic gaming IPs in the future. “

HBO set The last of us in development in March. It is the latest video game franchise to benefit from premium cable treatment. Showtime is also working on a series based on Halo, which is due out next year.

Executive production of Mazin and Druckmann The last of us with Carolyn Strauss (Chernobyl, Game of Thrones), Evan Wells of Naughty Dog and Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions. Johan Renck (Chernobyl) was supposed to lead the pilot, but had to retire due to a scheduling conflict.