Naughty Dog’s highly acclaimedThe Last of Us, soon to see its sequel released on the PlayStation 4, also currently hasa TV adaptation in development for HBO. Neil Druckmann, the director of bothThe Last of Usgames and a writer on the show, saidThe Last of Us Part 2’s imminent release is taking priority — but that hasn’t stopped him from revealing juicy tidbits of information about the show’s production on social media.
Earlier today, Druckmann put out a Tweet sayingThe Last of Us' series-wide composer Gustavo Santaolalla will also be working on the HBO series after “lending his incredible musical talent toThe Last of Us Part II.” The original game’s soundtrack is integral to its story-driven experience and was recognized upon release by the Spike Video Game Awards, the SXSW Gaming Awards, the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, and more.
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Santaolalla’s musical expertise extends farther than Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic universe, whose familiar characters will bekey figures in the first season of the HBO show. The Argentinian musician has been performing since the late 1960s according to his Internet Movie Database (IMDb) profile, and his experiences working on 2005’sBrokeback Mountainand 2006’sBabelnetted him back-to-back Oscars for Best Original Score.
The announcement of an HBOThe Last of Usshow immediately set the Internet ablaze, as it’s a copacetic mix of a beloved property with a network that has done well with recent drama series likeWatchmenandChernobyl.Chernobylwas produced and written by Craig Mazin, who is directly attached as a writer forThe Last of Usand has promised to stay faithful to the source material withplot points like protagonist Ellie’s sexuality.
Originally the property was meant to be adapted into a movie, much like Naughty Dog’s action-adventureUnchartedseries. However, it was confirmed thatthe HBO show is completely replacing that film, which had a rocky production under Sony’s Screen Gems movie label since 2014.
The series will no doubt thrive with more room to tell its story, and that extra time will give Santaolalla’s score the chance to flourish. Even thoughDruckmann joked about backing out of the HBO series, he is clearly just as excited to get to work on the project asThe Last of Us' fans will be to watch it.
The Last of Usis in development at HBO.
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