In celebration of The Last of Us Day 2021, the first image from The Last of Us HBO series has been revealed and it shows Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie in the post-apocalyptic world made famous in the PlayStation exclusive of the same name.
While we don’t get to see their faces, the image gives fans of The Last of Us and newcomers an idea of how these characters will be adapted for this live-action series.
Look for the light @HBO #TLOUDay pic.twitter.com/fl5ZCP7MG7
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) September 27, 2021
The image also shows more than you may at first notice, as Joel and Ellie’s outfits and backpacks are very authentic to the game, showing the care the team behind the show, which includes The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann, are putting into it.
Speaking of Neil Druckmann, he also shared the image on Twitter alongside saying “When I first saw them on set in full costume, I was like: ‘Hooooooly s***! It’s Joel & Ellie!’ The @HBO adaptation of @Naughty_Dog’s The Last of Us is full steam ahead! Can’t wait to show you more (from all of our projects!) Happy #TLoUDay!!!”
We also see a downed airplane in the distance, but it is unclear if that will be part of the plot of the first season or just something in the background to show the horrors this world contains. There was no scene with an airplane in the first The Last of Us, so this may be a new story we will be exploring for these characters.
It has previously been confirmed that this first season will adapt 2013’s The Last of Us, but that it will “deviate greatly” in some of its episodes. Even though we don’t know much of exactly how this story will be told, we have learned who will be playing Tess, Marlene, Tommy, Sarah, and more. Interestingly enough, Jeffrey Pierce, the voice behind Tommy in The Last of Us, will be appearing in this show, but not as Tommy.
The Last of Us’ writer and producer Craig Mazin has also confirmed that the first season will consist of 10 episodes. These episodes won’t come cheap, as it’s been reported that each one will cost more than $10 million to produce.
For more on The Last of Us, check out a designer revealing why one of Part 2’s key chases was so challenging and the reports that a remake of the original game is in the works.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.