The popular video game turned series made history as HBO’s second-largest series debut since Boardwalk Empire’s 2010 premiere.
HBO
HBO’s newest series The Last of Us is based on the universally acclaimed 2013 eponymous post-apocalyptic video game that follows the story of Joel, a hardened survivor and smuggler, and Ellie, a young girl with immunity from a zombie-like infection outbreak that has decimated the United States. The series has been highly anticipated by longtime supporters of the video game franchise, with many excited for the live-action rendition to finally make its television debut. The Last of Us series made history with its Sunday premiere becoming HBO’s second-largest series debut since 2010, according to The Wrap.
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According to Nielsen and first-party data, The Last of Us’ premiere drew in 4.7 million viewers across HBO and its complimentary streaming platform on Sunday evening, securing HBO’s second-biggest premiere to date. A premiere size of this magnitude has not occurred since the 2010 debut of Boardwalk Empire. The astronomical debut comes second to the Game of Thrones successor, House of the Dragon. Additionally, the series debut was almost double Euphoria’s season 2 premiere, another acclaimed and fan-favorite HBO original. Given the remarkable turnout for The Last of Us’ debut, the show is heading in the right direction to becoming one of HBO’s mainstays.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are at the helm of the nascent series, portraying Joel Miller and Ellie respectively. Co-creator Craig Mazin praised Pascal and Ramsey for the duo’s natural chemistry, which is the heart of the post-apocalyptic series. Rounding out the main cast is Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Anna Torv as a smuggler and fellow hardened survivor Tess, and Merle Dandridge, who reprises her role from the video game as resistance leader Marlene. The series is co-written and executively produced by Mazin and Naughty Dog’s co-president Neil Druckmann. Additional executive producers include Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam.
Related: The Last of Us Show Creators Assure They Won’t Have the Game of Thrones Problem
The Last of Us Reignites The Live-Action Video Game Adaptation Market
Sony
Live-action video game adaptations have gotten an abominable track record within the film industry throughout the years. From the early 2000s Lara Croft Tomb Raider franchise to the more recently released Uncharted, these renditions have not gone over well with gamers or critics mainly due to deviation from the source material and haphazard and underdeveloped storytelling. Contrary to its video game adaptations counterparts, The Last of Us has been met with laudatory reception from devout followers of the franchise and critics.
Ahead of its release, reviews declared the survival dystopian series as one of the best video game adaptations ever made. Many critics prophesied the HBO original might break the video game adaptation curse, revitalizing a genre that has been plagued by poor live-action renditions. The secret behind The Last of Us’ success comes from Pascal’s and Ramsey’s stellar performances and the series’ dedication to the source material.
“Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could,” Mazin and Druckmann said in a statement to The Wrap. “We are overjoyed to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed The Last of Us into their homes and their hearts.” HBO & HBO Max Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys echoed the pair’s statement about the series’ success. “We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success. Congratulations to Craig, Neil, and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season.”
The Last of Us airs weekly on HBO on Sundays at 9 PM ET and is available for streaming on HBO Max.
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