HBO is continuing to expand the ensemble cast of its upcoming series adaptation of Naughty Dog’s popular video game series The Last of Us. According to IGN, the premium network has officially welcomed the addition of Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give) and Keivonn Woodard, who are joining leading stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the upcoming action horror drama series. In addition, Graham Greene and Elaine Miles have also been cast for guest-starring roles as Marlon and Florence, who are “a married couple surviving alone in the wilderness of post-apocalyptic Wyoming.”
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Johnson and Woodard have been tapped to portray the respective roles of brothers Henry and Sam, who, in the game, are two of the survivors that Joel and Ellie meet throughout their journey. In the upcoming series, Henry and Sam are described as “brothers in Kansas City hiding from a revolutionary movement seeking vengeance.”
The Last of Us series will tackle the events of the first game with the possibility of additional content based on the sequel. It is set to be led by Game of Thrones alums Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
“The live-action series takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed,” reads the synopsis. “Joel and Ellie, a pair connected through the harshness of the world they live in, are forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across a post-pandemic America.”
Joining Pascal and Ramsey are Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Tommy Miller, Nico Parker (Dumbo) as Joel’s daughter Sarah, Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as Tess, and Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as she reprises her role from the video games as Marlene, the leader of a resistance group known as the Fireflies. It also features Jeffrey Pierce (Bosch) as Perry, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) as Frank, Con O’Neill (Chernobyl) as Bill, and Storm Reid (Euphoria) as Riley.
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The live-action series is executive produced and co-written by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and original game writer Neil Druckmann, who is also serving as one of the directors. It is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television in association with PlayStation Productions. Executive producers are Carolyn Strauss, Naughty Dog President Evan Wells, and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
