The official release for HBO’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Last Of Us looks to have been accidentally exposed. The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, has quickly become one of HBO’s most anticipated productions in recent years. The series will adapt Naughty Dog’s popular video game series of the same name, with the game’s developer Neil Druckmann also serving as a writer on this long-awaited show.
The Last of Us features Joel, who, following the sad death of his daughter, travels across an apocalyptic America with a little girl named Ellie in search of a cure for the devastating brain illness that has spread over the country. Viewers are now eagerly awaiting the adaptation, which has a rumoured budget of $10 million each episode, with the first official The Last of Us teaser recently offering the finest look yet at Pascal’s Joel and Ramsey’s Ellie. While The Last of Us was originally scheduled to arrive in screens before the end of 2022, it was announced earlier this year that the dystopian drama will instead arrive in 2023, and an exact release date looks to have been established.
The Last Of Us will now air on January 15th, 2023, according to HBO Max’s landing page. While HBO has yet to formally confirm this release date, the fact that it has appeared on the HBO app is obviously a strong sign. The lack of further confirmation of this release date suggests that it was accidentally revealed, and it has to be seen whether HBO will later remove or confirm it.
Why Is January 2023 the ideal release date for The Last of Us?
Despite its declared 2023 release date, The Last of Us’ January premiere is undoubtedly earlier than many expected. This assurance that The Last of Us would arrive sooner rather than later will undoubtedly be welcomed by fans, and it is only likely to benefit HBO as they attempt to capitalize on the immense expectation that has surrounded this series from its inception. This, paired with the show’s winter setting, makes January the ideal month for The Last of Us to premiere, as the series now hopes to lead the way in starting off a big year of TV releases. The Last of Us’ January release also provides HBO with a major blockbuster series to replace the hole left by The House of the Dragon (which just finished season 1) and The White Lotus, which closes season 2 on December 11.
With not long before The Last of Us hits theaters, many will be eager to find out what this series has in store for both long-time game fans and new viewers. After months of uncertainty about when The Last of Us would finally air, fans can now rejoice that Joel and Ellie’s live-action debut is only a few months away. Meanwhile, let’s hope HBO follows through on this fantastic announcement with further advertising material for The Last of Us.
Source: HBO Max