Oh, The Last Of Us Day. Truly there is no more magical day in the calender. It’s a day for all of those who have survived the journey of both The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us II. We laugh, we cry, we argue. It’s also a day for the fanbase to connect directly with the games’ developer, Naughty Dog, and that’s a conversation that rarely disappoints.
This year, Naughty Dog have used this momentous occasion to share with us the first official visuals from the forthcoming live-action series based on the IP. And while it’s not much, it’s certainly important goddamn work.
The HBO production’s co-writer and EP Neil Druckmann (who also directed both games) took to the streets (or, well, his social media) to share what will go down in the annuls as the first sighting of an IRL flesh-and-blood Ellie and Joel, the stories’ beloved leads. Until this point, we could only ponder how Pedro Pascal would look as the gruff, yet endearing Joel, and Bella Ramsey as the Zombie-slaying, Scar-evading wunderkind herself, Ellie.
And while the shared image does still leave much to the imagination, at first glance it looks so authentic that it could damn well be a screenshot from the game. It brings with it a calming sense that both Pascal and Ramsey are absolutely nailing their roles. The shot captures the pair looking on at what appears to be a plane wreck, both with their now iconic gaits.
Those playing at home will know that while these are the first official shots from the production, they aren’t the first we’ve seen. Earlier in the year, a whole stack of snaps were leaked online, allegedly showing a bunch of the background signage and communiqué that was essential to bringing the world to life in the OG game. Should they be legit, it confirms that this IP is in very safe and understanding hands.
Other than that, just about SFA is known about the series, with no official release date locked in (other than the vague outline of late 2022). But consider us keen as mustard already.
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