When Naughty Dog released The Last of Us, it likely didn't expect that it would become such a hit, leading to a sequel. To further show just how much of a legacy the first The Last of Us game left, HBO is shooting a television series inspired by Naughty Dog's creative endeavor that is allegedly coming late next year. The Last of Us series will feature Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, with plenty of other great actors playing various characters the duo interacts with throughout the game. However, HBO's work is also set to stray a bit from the original narrative.
Naughty Dog had a rich story and world built for The Last of Us, which translated into roughly 20 hours of content excluding the Left Behind DLC. The television series is set to last for ten episodes in total. Considering HBO is not trying to make it a standalone mini-series like the acclaimed Chernobyl, this could mean that the first season of The Last of Us might not cover everything that happens in the first game, especially because Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are seeking to expand the story. In turn, this could lead to the series slowly but steadily drift from what the original story was, and it could take a long time before it gets on track with the events of The Last of Us Part 2 - if at all.
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With this in mind, fans of The Last of Us games shouldn't expect the series to be a new story, they should instead think of it as the same story told in a different way. Expanding on the lore, the narrative, and the world-building of a successful franchise is not an easy task, meaning that the HBO series will likely take creative risks that could alter the perception of events and the characters involved in them. Joel could be less emotionally stunted, allowing the series to delve deeper into the bond that is going to form between the smuggler and Ellie. Alternatively, the series could do the opposite, and have the protagonists' relationship become a slow-burner instead.
Aside from speculation about what could be happening in the series, since Neil Druckmann is on board with the HBO project and also has the plot for The Last of Us 3 outlined, it's not impossible that the show might have an impact on that upcoming plot. This is not new, and it might be one of the reasons why George R. R. Martin hasn't published the sixth book of the A Song of Ice and Fire saga even after Game of Thrones saw its last episode air over two years ago. In fact, it's common that adaptations from any media to television can be very different from the source material, and this can influence future work from the original creators.
If The Last of Us series ends up straying from the first game, it's plausible that the story might take a different turn. This could mean that Joel never meets his death at the hands of Abby, or it could mean that he dies somewhere else at another time. The possibilities are endless, and while it remains speculation at this stage, the process might lead to Druckmann changing the plot for The Last of Us 3 based on how the series plays out. For fans who just want more out of the universe, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The Last of Us on HBO is currently in production.
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