When the news broke of an HBO televised series based on Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, fans immediately got to speculating on who should be cast as the iconic Joel and Ellie. A firm fan-favourite for the role of Ellie was – and continues to be – Kaitlyn Dever, best known from Booksmart and Netflix’s Unbelievable.
In a new interview with Collider, the young star admitted she’s a big fan of the PlayStation classic and would absolutely “love” to take on the role of Ellie.
The actor, who also played Nathan Drake’s daughter Cassie in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4, told the publication: “I obviously have been seeing the Internet, and I’ve obviously been seeing a lot of [the fan casting],
“Neil Druckmann [TLOU director]…I worked with him on Uncharted 4. I think he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met, and one of the sweetest. And I’m not shutting it down, you know? I’m not shutting it down. I would absolutely love to do that.”
She went on to add: “I am a huge fan of that video game. I think it is a beautiful story. It’s just a wonderful narrative, and I fell in love with that game when it came out. And I played it with my dad and we just had the best time. I’m not very good at it. My aim is really bad, but I’m working on getting better at playing.”
Personally I think Dever would make the perfect Ellie, so the ball’s in your court, HBO!
As The Last of Us series has only recently been announced, we’re probably a long way away from getting any updates, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted when we do!
Craig Mazin, best known for the phenomenal HBO series, Chernobyl, will be spearheading the project, along with Druckmann.
Mazin, who is said to be an avid player of the game, stated, “Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and The Last of Us is his magnum opus. Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
“From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of The Last of Us,” said Druckmann in a statement. “With Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of The Last of Us to life as a television show.”
There’s no word yet on the series’ release, but don’t expect it anytime soon.
Featured Image Credit: Naughty Dog/Netflix