Pedro Pascal and Melanie Lynskey Star in Eerie, Explosive First Trailer for The Last of Us

Bailey Richards
·2 min read

HBO released the first trailer for its highly anticipated original series The Last of Us on Monday — just in time for Spooky Season!

Based on the 2013 PlayStation game, the series will follow the unlikely pair of smuggler Joel Miller (Game of Thrones' Pedro Pascal) and teenager-turned-cure-for-humanity Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) as they embark on a cross-country adventure through a post-apocalyptic landscape.

Littered with different types of "Infected," including the "Clickers" shown in the trailer, Joel's goal is to deliver Ellie safely to a rebel group. The symbol and slogan of the group, called the Fireflies, is painted over in the first few seconds of the teaser.

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Set to Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken," the intense trailer provides a fragmented and haunting look at the post-apocalyptic landscape Joel and Ellie must confront.

In a twist for diehard fans of the game, HBO's take on the saga also introduces a new character: Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) is the "ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City," per Entertainment Weekly.

The teaser also gives fans another look at Bill (Nick Offerman) and a first look at other core characters, including Marlene (Merle Dandridge), Tess (Anna Torv), Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Riley (Storm Reid).

Gamers will recognize key symbols and all-too-familiar moments from the game: Ellie, Joel and Tess hiding from soldiers, the iconic collapsed skyscraper, a lingering close-up of Joel's watch and Joel carrying his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), during the game's emotional opening sequence.

A glimpse into a scene featuring Ellie and Riley on a carousel confirms that the series will not only cover the events of the original The Last of Us game but also The Last of Us: Left Behind, an expansion pack of the original game that was released in 2014. Left Behind delves deeper into Ellie's story before meeting Joel. The series does not appear to include any of the events of The Last of Us Part II, the 2020 sequel to the original game.

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The trailer ends with a dramatic quote from an unidentified character, seemingly talking to Joel about Ellie.

"This is your chance," the character says. "Our best shot. You keep her alive, and you set everything right."

Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog, the video game studio behind The Last of Us, serve as co-creators and executive producers of the HBO series, which is a co-production with Sony, PlayStation, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog.

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The Last of Us is expected to premiere on HBO sometime in 2023.

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