HBO says The Last of Us show won’t air in 2022

HBO has confirmed that its upcoming The Last of Us show won’t be released this year.

“It’s not going to air in 2022 — they are still shooting in Canada. I imagine you will see it in ’23,” HBO and HBO Max programming chief Casey Bloys told Deadline.

“I have seen some early episodes and I’m very excited,” he teased. “Craig did Chernobyl for us, he is a fantastic writer and director. What I’ve seen looks amazing, so I’m excited for it, but it will not be in ’22.”

The Last of Us adaptation is the first television series from PlayStation Productions, a studio formed by Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt its original game properties for film and TV.

Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin is co-writing and executive producing the show alongside Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann.

Shooting began in July 2021, with the production expected to wrap in mid-2022.

The series is expected to cover the events of The Last of Us, which was released in 2013, and may include content based on The Last of Us Part 2, which followed in 2020.

Game of Thrones actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are portraying the show’s lead characters, Joel and Ellie. Nico Parker (Dumbo), the daughter of actress Thandie Newton, is playing Joel’s daughter Sarah, while Gabriel Luna (Agents of Shield) stars as Joel’s brother Tommy.

PlayStation Productions’ first release is the Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland, which arrived in cinemas this month and has made a solid start at the box office.

The movie hit cinemas two weeks after the PS5 release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.

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It was recently claimed that a PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us is nearing completion and could be released in the second half of 2022, and that a The Last of Us Part 2 Director’s Cut is in the works too.

In January, Druckmann said Naughty Dog was “dying to share” with fans “the multiple game projects” the studio is working on.

It is known to be developing its “first standalone multiplayer game”, which could be the result of The Last of Us Part 2’s delayed online mode having been expanded into its own title.