HBO Celebrates The Last of Us Day by Dropping First Teaser Trailer

As a way to celebrate the game’s legacy and the community built around it, video game developer Naughty Dog annually marks the in-game day in which The Last of Us’ inciting brain infection reached critical mass, which was September 26th, 2013. This year, HBO joined in on the fun to drop the first teaser trailer for the upcoming series, slated for 2023.

According to a press release, “The Last of Us takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”

The trailer showcases the celebrated video game come to life, as Joel and Ellie attempt to survive amongst the wreckage and ruin of their former world. Highlighting its beautiful apocalyptic set design and offering a glimpse of its terrifying infected monsters, the trailer showcases the heart-pounding stakes and heartfelt connections that were integral in the success of The Last of Us’ game franchise.

Coming from Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann, the series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, with confirmed appearances from their video game counterparts Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, playing different characters than they did in the games. Additionally, Yellowjackets’ Melanie Lynskey appeared in the trailer, joining the cast as Kathleen. The rest of the cast rounds out with Merle Dandridge reprising her role as Marlene, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Nico Parker as Sarah, Nick Offerman as Bill, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Anna Torv as Tess, Storm Reid as Riley, and Jeffery Pierce as Perry.

Check out the teaser trailer below; The Last of Us premieres on HBO in 2023.