The team behind HBO’s The Last of Us made good on its promise to share some news about the upcoming television series, and revealed its lead cast last night. Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey will play the role of Ellie, and fellow Game of Thrones actor/The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal has been cast as Joel.
Prior to the announcement, rumors swirled that Mahershala Ali was offered the role of Joel after Matthew McConaughey turned it down. While it’s true that Ali circled a role, no agreement was ever reached.
Game director Neil Druckmann tweeted that Naughty Dog is “absolutely thrilled” to have Ramsey, who is known for her role as Game of Thrones‘ fierce Lyanna Mormont, join The Last of Us family. In a separate tweet, he said that the team was “stoked” to have Pascal, who portrayed Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones and plays the title character in The Mandalorian, on board with the show.
The Last of Us‘ pilot episode is being directed by Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole). Druckmann and Craig Mazin will serve as writers and executive producers for the series. Carolyn Strauss will also executive produce alongside Naughty Dog president Evan Wells, and Sony’s Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
The Last of Us is a joint effort between Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog. A release date has yet to be announced.
We’ll update our readers when we have more information. In the meantime, share your thoughts on the cast with us below.
[Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline]