Earlier in the month we got the announcement that HBO would be adapting the hit Naughty Dog game, The Last of Us, in television format. It caused quite a bit of excitement with fans rushing to fantasy cast their favorite characters and speculate how the story would be fit and altered for a series. And it seems that speculation is all we’re going to have for a good while.
Craig Mazin, who will be writing and producing the adaptation, revealed on his Scriptnotes podcast that they will not be filming the show until The Last of Us Part 2 releases. While he says they want to start the process “pretty soon,” with Naughty Dog being involved it is best for all parties to wait for that release.
The Last of Us Part 2 will release on May 29th, meaning that it will be at least halfway through 2020 before they begin anything significant. That’s also not taking into account any potential impact the coronavirus could have, as the current pandemic has impacted several film and TV productions so far (though hopefully the outbreak will have died down by then). Regardless, expect your fantasy casting to be the only casting for a decent amount of time.