Per a report from Variety, directors Jasmila Žbanić and Ali Abbasi have both been tapped to helm episodes of HBO’s series adaptation of Sony’s hit video game The Last of Us.
The Last of Us was first announced as being in development in March of 2020, before being greenlit for a straight-to-series order a few months later in November. The series has already cast three of its main characters, with The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal in the lead role of Joel. Bella Ramsey and Gabriel Luna have also joined the cast, playing the roles of Ellie and Tommy. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are both attached as co-writers and executive producers. Mazin is the creator of HBO’s Chernobyl, while Druckmann was a writer and creative director on the original Last of Us video game.
Bosnian filmmaker Žbanić’s latest feature, Quo Vadis, Aida?, has earned a nomination for best international feature film at the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards. Žbanić herself was also nominated for best director at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. Abbasi has directed two well-received features, including the 2018 Cannes International Film Festival official selection, Border. Beanpole director Kantemir Balagov is set to direct the pilot of The Last of Us, and it is not clear how many episodes of the series Žbanić, Abbasi and Balagov will direct respectively.
The Last of Us: Part II was also a big hit, so perhaps a second season of this new series would feature the events of the game’s sequel. No matter how much of the game series will be covered or when it will be released, this adaptation seems destined to be a hit. The Last of Us is set to start filming July 5 of this year in Calgary and isn’t scheduled to wrap until June 8, 2022.