The Last of Us series on HBO continues to raise a lot of concerns among fans who aren’t particularly confident about video game adaptations given the industry’s track record. Though it seems that Pedro Pascal, who’ll portray Joel in the show, thinks that their work will “more than live up to” the reputation of the highly acclaimed Naughty Dog title.
In a recent interview with German magazine Neelix (via IGN) Pedro talked about the pressure of adapting a game as beloved as The Last of Us, saying: “I think the cinematic adaptation can more than live up to the original game. I have absolutely no doubts that we won’t disappoint fans of the game or new viewers alike.”
That statement certainly disseminates confidence, if nothing else. But looking at how the Uncharted film turned out, which is another acclaimed franchise by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us fans must be genuinely feeling worried about their favorite post-apocalyptic story right now.
Of course, it wouldn’t be strictly reasonable to compare the upcoming series to other live-action adaptations of its caliber. For one thing, this project will include Neil Druckmann – director of both The Last of Us games and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – as a consultant and executive producer.
That in itself goes a long way towards putting skepticism to rest. Fans know all too well that Drukmann would never do anything to compromise the franchise, which he sees as his magnum opus, in any way.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what Craig Mazin and the rest of the producers at HBO have cooked up when the first season of The Last of Us premieres sometime in 2022.