The Last of Us is getting a television series courtesy of HBO, but who should be cast as the iconic Joel and Ellie?
Gamers are already weighing in on who’d they like to see take on the roles of a lifetime, and though of course we won’t know until we know, it’s always fun to talk about dream casting.
Social media has been flooded with people’s suggestions, and it seems that Game of Thrones actor, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Last Man Standing’s Kaitlyn Dever, are firm favourites to play Joel and Ellie.
Another suggestion that’s pretty unlikely in my opinion, is Ellen Page as Ellie. Comparisons between Page and the Naughty Dog character have been rife since the first game’s announcement, but we’re pretty unlikely to see Page take the role.
After the game’s launch, Page took part in an Ask Me Anything on reddit, where she bashed Naughty Dog and TLOU for Ellie’s appearance.
She said at the time: “I guess I should be flattered that they ripped off my likeness but I am actually acting in a video game called Beyond Two Souls, so it was not appreciated.”
There’s also the slight issue of Ellie being 14 years old in the first game, and Page is now 33.
Hugh Jackman is also another name that fans would like to see attached to the project, especially thanks to his portrayal of the reluctant father figure in Logan.
There’s also a number of people asking for the HBO series to consider an entirely different approach – by telling a story in the same world, but that doesn’t focus on Joel and Ellie.
It seems pretty unlikely that will happen though. Naughty Dog director Neil Druckmann, who is signed onto the television adaptation, shared the news to Twitter captioned with: “Ellie and Joel are heading to 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