HBO’s The Last of Us casts two Game of Thrones stars in lead roles

Two actors from Game of Thrones have been cast in HBO’s upcoming adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us.

It has been revealed that Pedro Pascal will star as Joel and Bella Ramsey will play Ellie in the upcoming TV series of The Last of Us. Both actors starred in hit HBO series Game of Thrones (Pascal as Oberyn Martell and Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont), so they’ll bring a certain pedigree to the network’s new show.

Did we say we’re building out the cast? Thrilled to see @PedroPascal1 join @BellaRamsey on the @HBO series of The Last of Us 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 https://t.co/xUODu1ypdX

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) February 11, 2021

An adaptation of the popular and respected video game, The Last of Us will tell the story of a man who must escort a young girl across a now barren United States, after a destructive disease has ravaged the land and left few survivors (this is why it’s important to wear those masks, people!) If you liked The Walking Dead and A Quiet Place, this new series is likely to be up your street as well.

This is not actually the only video game adaptation from the Naughty Dog studio that’s currently in the works; a movie version of Uncharted is set for release in 2022, starring Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as his mentor Sully. It’s unsurprising that these titles will be reinvented as dramatic pieces, since they were both renowned for their cinematic qualities even in their original format. We just hope that the transition will be a lot smoother than that of Assassin’s Creed or Prince of Persia, both live-action video game movies that we’d rather forget.

Fortunately the early signs for The Last of Us seem positive, as the casting news was well-received by fans across social media channels. Pedro Pascal has already won the hearts of nerds everywhere with his portrayal of the titular character in The Mandalorian. After fighting off legions of stormtroopers and protecting baby Yoda (or Grogu, if you insist) it seems that he couldn’t be more perfect for the role of the rugged survivalist Joel Miller.