TV and movie adaptations of video games have typically been a bit of a struggle critically and commercially.
(Look no further than Michael Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed in 2016.) Thankfully, though, HBO’s The Last of Us has helped reverse that bad reputation.
Based on the Naughty Dog/Playstation series of the same name from Neil Druckmann, the series takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by the Cordyceps fungus.
The Last of Us drew critical acclaim (along with awards buzz) on a number of fronts, boiling down to story execution and casting, chief among them being Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
It might seem like a natural instinct to play The Last of Us video game to prepare for the role, but Pedro Pascal was actually told the opposite.
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