“The Last of Us”, the highly anticipated HBO series based on a famous computer game, has now debuted its first episode.
Despite how exciting they are to play; video games rarely adapt successfully to the big or small screen. In fact, the crossover genre is rife with duds. The dystopian, zombie-filled HBO series “The Last of Us,” which will premiere on Sunday in the United States and on Monday elsewhere.
Ten years after “The Last of Us” was first released on PlayStation. The series has already received a tonne of favorable reviews. It currently has a score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It is expected to become the streaming industry’s first hit of 2023.
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The Last of Us Adaptation: A New Test for Video Game to TV Transitions
Game creator Neil Druckman, along with “Chernobyl” scriptwriter Craig Mazin, together created the narrative for television. The plot follows the unlikely duo of the enthusiastic teen Ellie and depressed smuggler Joel, who he must protect as the planet’s maybe final hope against a quickly spreading Zombie virus. The story sticks true to the original Naughty Dog game.
The nine-episode season, in which “Game of Thrones” actress Bella Ramsey plays Ellie and “Narcos” actor Pedro Pascal plays Joel, is set in a post-apocalyptic America under the control of a military regime.
The success of the series is crucial for HBO Max. That recently increased its monthly US membership price for an ad-free option from $14.99 to $15.99. Blockbuster video game adaptations that turned into films or television shows don’t perform well. Angelina Jolie starred in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” in 2001. And more recently, Netflix released the Emmy-winning animated series “Arcane,” which is based in the “League of Legends” universe.
“The Last of Us”‘s post-apocalyptic plot taps into a popular genre even outside of gaming, and HBO has a long history of success with dramatic shows. Where other video game adaptations have failed, Casillo predicted that the series will thrive if it “uses the backdrop of the game’s plot to present a compelling character tale (that could exist even independently from the game).”
Many more video game versions are in the works, including a new “Super Mario Bros.” movie, a “Sonic the Hedgehog.” movie, a “Gran Turismo” movie, and an animated “Tomb Raider” series on Netflix.
