HBO Max’s ‘The Last of Us’ Release Date, Time, and How to Watch
After years of development and delays, The Last of Us TV series finally arrives on HBO this weekend. And if the rave reviews from critics are any indication, it will be an epic, beautiful ride. Fans of the video game won’t want to miss this one; here are all the details on when, where, and how to watch The Last of Us.
What will ‘The Last of Us’ TV show be about?
The Last of Us, created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, is an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s critically-acclaimed 2013 video game. It’s set in 2033, two decades after a mutated fungus infected the world and turned much of the population into cannibalistic and extremely hostile creatures. The disease and the infected are still out there, and the post-apocalyptic U.S. is filled with oppressive quarantine zones. A smuggler and hardened survivor named Joel Miller (played by Pedro Pascal) must smuggle a teenager named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country.
In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, The Last of Us stars Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, and Merle Dandridge. Several guest stars will also appear, including Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Troy Baker (who portrayed Joel in the video game), Jeffrey Pierce, and more. Many of The Last of Us characters come from the game, but some, like Natasha Mumba’s Kim Tembo, were created for the TV series.
“There’s a very, very creative way of honoring what’s important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect,” Pascal recently told Collider of the adaptation. “And then directions that you would expect it to go, and it might not… they’re doing some really smart things, is all I can say.”
‘The Last of Us’ TV series release date and time
At long last, The Last of Us will premiere its first episode on Sunday, Jan. 15. Fans in the U.S. can watch the premiere at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, or at 6 p.m. on the west coast. New episodes will then be released weekly.
Season 1 will consist of nine episodes. There’s already a possibility of a second season that would adapt the video game’s sequel, The Last of Us Part II, but HBO has yet to renew the series. Beyond season 2, The Last of Us runs the risk of deviating from the source material, which Mazin and Druckmann don’t want.
“I don’t have any interest in a spinning-plates-go-on-forever show,” Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter. When it becomes a perpetual motion machine, it just can’t help but get kind of … stupid. Endings mean everything to me.”
How to watch ‘The Last of Us’ TV series
Fans can watch The Last of Us as it airs on HBO. Meanwhile, those who don’t have access to cable can check out the show on HBO Max. These are the only two viewing options at this time. Fans will need a subscription to HBO Max in order to watch there. The ad-free plan costs $14.99 per month. However, HBO Max also has an ad-supported plan for $9.99 per month, helping subscribers save a few bucks.
Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates on The Last of Us TV series.
