The long-awaited TV adaptation of Naughty Dog’s smash hit The Last Of Us is finally on its way, and HBO Max has dropped a stunning teaser worthy of the beloved game. The captivatingly eerie trailer will leave both complete newcomers and those who have played the action-adventure classic waiting with bated breath.
Originally released for the PlayStation 3 back in 2013, The Last Of Us follows smuggler Joel (played by Troy Baker) as he escorts a young woman named Ellie (Ashley Johnson) out of a quarantine area and across a post-apocalyptic United States. Set in a dystopian 2023 in which an outbreak of the Cordyceps brain infection (or CBI, for short) ravages the human population, the game's plot is reminiscent of typical zombie or doomsday movies, but on a significantly elevated level. The depth and delicacy of the storytelling and imagery set it apart in a rather crowded genre.
Neil Druckmann and Gustavo Santaolalla, who wrote and composed for the original game, respectively, return to work on the show in the same capacities. Craig Mazin joins Druckmann in the writer's room while Kantemir Balagov directs the pilot. Pedro Pascal of The Mandalorian fame will star as Joel, and Bella Ramsey will play Ellie.
Joel, Ellie, and Apocalyptic America
The trailer sets the tone for the series right away, with the first handful of shots moving, detailing the desolation of this post-disaster United States. Signs declaring martial law and describing the symptoms of CBI can be seen, as well as images of townspeople painting over boarded-up windows. As many fans have already pointed out, the song that plays is "Alone and Forsaken" by Hank Williams, which, besides being the perfect addition to the forlorn and disconcerting atmosphere of the teaser, is also featured both in the original game and its remaster during a cutscene that takes place in Pittsburgh.
The first view of Pascal as Joel shows him looking completely distraught. The despair on his face is clear despite the fact he's covering his mouth with his hand. The viewer is then introduced to Ramsey's Ellie, who looks on curiously at a wall marked with the words "When you're lost in the darkness," a sight those who played the game will find familiar. The camera then pans to an obviously symbolic chain by her foot before moving to an intense yet brief glimpse of her partially obscured face.
Fireflies and Infected
The trailer begins to hint more at the plot rather than simply setting the atmosphere. Joel and Ellie are seen hiding in a tunnel with Tess, Joel's smuggling partner (portrayed by Anna Torv), while a government sentry keeps guard right outside. The imagery begins to come thick and fast here, with shots of a storm over a city in ruins, a shadowy figure watching surveillance video in a dark room, and the incredibly macabre sight of small skeletons still dressed in children's clothes all taking their turn on the screen for just a few seconds.
The first clear appearance of an infected arrives at around the 35-second mark. Joel, Tess, and Ellie stand outside a room in which an infected is convulsing. Ellie is clearly shaken, and Joel, recognizing the danger of the moment, merely raises a finger to his lips to try and keep Ellie quiet.
Interestingly, the next two shots establish the presence of a pair of characters fans will be happy to see: Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies rebel militia, is played by Merle Dandridge in a reprise of her role in the games, and Riley Abel, an orphaned girl who serves as Ellie's friend and occasional love interest, who will be portrayed by Storm Reid.
"Save Who You Can Save"
The only dialogue in the trailer comes in at about 55 seconds and plays over a flurry of intense imagery, with Tess telling Joel of the importance of helping Ellie to survive: "This is your chance... our best shot. You keep her alive, and you set everything right. Save who you can save." As the voiceover plays, the viewer gets a look at another couple of important characters in Nick Offerman's Bill, a survivalist who owes Joel a favor, and what appears to be Gabriel Luna as Tommy, a former soldier, and Joel's yet-optimistic younger brother.
Scenes of fist-fighting, a car chase, explosions, a raging fire, and more flash quickly across the screen, ending only with the harrowing image of a clicker, a particularly terrifying variety of infected that uses echolocation to get around. Ellie and Joel are then seen riding off on a horse in a rare moment of calm before the series' title card comes up and the trailer ends.
The teaser does a phenomenal job of displaying the plot's overt tension and terrifying imagery, giving clever and subtle hints to fans of the game while drawing in the uninitiated at the same time. If the show delivers on the same level as this trailer has, The Last Of Us will be a must-watch for every HBO Max subscriber.