Sorry, The Last of Us TV show won't be released for a long time

The Last of Us TV show
The first official image from The Last of Us TV show. (Image credit: HBO)

HBO's TV adaptation of The Last Of Us won't be arriving in 2022. 

The series, which was first announced in March 2020, is based on Naughty Dog's hugely successful 2013 videogame and entered production in the middle of summer 2021. Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin is overseeing the show for HBO, with Pedro Pascal (Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Gabriel Luna (Tommy) among the key cast.

Early reports had suggested that the show could be arriving this year, with Ramsey posting an Instagram story giving The Last of Us a 2022 release date. However, speaking to Deadline, HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys revealed that The Last of Us TV series wouldn't debut until 2023 at the very earliest.

Asked when The Last Of Us will hit screens, Bloys said: "It’s not going to air in 2022 — they are still shooting in Canada. I imagine you will see it in 2023."

He did have some more positive news, revealing that the studio were delighted with early results. "I have seen some early episodes and I’m very excited," he added. "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 2022.”

With a budget of over $155 million dollars, the production has drawn comparisons with Game Of Thrones, but Bloys was quick to dismiss them. "There is no next Game of Thrones," Bloys suggested. "I’ve been here long enough that I’ve been through, what’s the next Sopranos, what’s next Game of Thrones, now what’s next Succession. There is no next Game of Thrones.” 

Analysis: What can viewers expect from The Last of Us?

Elli playing the guitar under a tree in The Last of Us 2

Ellie plays her guitar in The Last of Us 2 videogame. (Image credit: Sony/Naughty Dog)

The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a deadly virus. 

We follow Pascal's Joel, a veteran survivor who is hired to smuggle Ramsey's Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone to the Fireflies, an organization who are searching for a cure for the virus.  Together the pair must travel across America, depending on each other for survival as they go. 

With Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann on board, it's likely that The Last of Us' TV adaptation will follow the events of the 2013 game as closely as possible. There will, though, be some plot divergences, with Druckmann telling the Script Apart podcast: “Our approach for The Last of Us was ‘Let’s make it as an indie film'. Let’s approach it as an indie film team, the way it’s shot, the way how small and intimate it feels. And with the show we get to lean into that even more because we don’t have to have as many action sequences as we do in the game.”

Meanwhile, Pascal believes that HBO's adaptation will live up to the beloved video game franchise. Speaking to German magazine Neelix (thanks to Dualshockers for spotting this), The Mandalorian star said: "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." Here's hoping he's right.

Tom Goodwyn
Freelance Entertainment Writer

Tom Goodwyn was formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor. He's now a freelancer writing about TV shows, documentaries and movies across streaming services, theaters and beyond. Based in East London, he loves nothing more than spending all day in a movie theater, well, he did before he had two small children… 

With contributions from
Read more
Ellie holds a guitar as Joel watches her in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news and rumors on the hit HBO show's return
Pedro Pascal's Joel sitting on a couch in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's release date has been set for mid-April, and I'm certain that I know when its next trailer will arrive
A close up of Pedro Pascal's Joel in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's new teaser has fans gushing over every detail it contains, but some are also concerned about the welfare of one of its new cast members
Ellie raises a shotgun in a barn in The Last of Us season 2
Sony announces Last of Us Season 2 release month, Horizon Zero Dawn film, Ghost of Tsushima anime and more at CES 2025
Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us
'Two more seasons after this and we’re done’: HBO says The Last of Us could be on track for four seasons on Max
A collage of Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's new trailer teases a huge showdown between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel, but the big moment I'm waiting for is still being held back
Latest in Entertainment
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Lando Norris driving around a bend during practice for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this season’s first F1 race online from anywhere
A collage of Tom Holland's unmasked Spider-Man and Sadie Sink's Max in Stranger Things season 4
Marvel reportedly casts Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in Spider-Man 4, but I don't want her to tackle the roles she's rumored to play
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough