The Last of Us Trivia | 73 facts about the TV series

“The Last of Us” is a new TV series based on the popular videogame of the same name. The series premiered on January 15th on HBO.

Let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the series.

1. The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series
2. The series is created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO
3. It is based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog
4. The series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States
5. The supporting cast features Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother Tommy, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, and Anna Torv as Joel’s smuggler partner Tess
6. The Last of Us, said to be the largest television production in Canadian history
7. It was filmed in Alberta from July 2021 to June 2022
8. It is the first HBO series based on a video game
9. And is a joint production by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games
10. The first season consists of nine episodes written by Druckmann
11. Druckmann wrote and co-directed the original game, and Mazin
12. The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming
13. Santaolalla also composed for the game
14. The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023
15. The series received acclaim from critics
16. They praised the performances, writing, production design, and score
17. Several called it the best live-action adaptation of a video game
18. After the release of Naughty Dog’s video game The Last of Us in 2013, two film adaptations were attempted
19. A feature film written by the game’s writer and creative director Neil Druckmann and produced by Sam Raimi entered development hell
20. And an animated short film adaptation by Oddfellows was canceled by Sony
21. Due to the extensive development of a film based on Uncharted, another game series by Naughty Dog, Druckmann ensured specific plot points were included when negotiating a deal with film and television studios
22. He felt more closely connected to The Last of Us’s creation and development than Uncharted’s
23. He always wanted to be involved in its adaptation in some manner
24. In March 2020, a television adaptation was announced in the planning stages at HBO, expected to cover events of the first game
25. Alongside Druckmann, Craig Mazin was named to help write and executive produce the series, while television producer Carolyn Strauss and Naughty Dog president Evan Wells were named executive producers
26. Gustavo Santaolalla, who worked on the games, the show’s composer
27. The show was announced as a joint production of Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, and Naughty Dog
28. It is the first show produced by PlayStation Productions
29. It is produced under the company name Bear and Pear Productions
30. Johan Renck, Mazin’s collaborator on Chernobyl, was announced as executive producer and director of the series premiere in June 2020
31. He dropped out by November due to scheduling conflicts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
32. HBO greenlit the series on November 20
33. PlayStation Productions’s Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan were named executive producers, and Word Games a production company
34. In January 2021, the Mighty Mint joined production, and Kantemir Balagov was announced as the pilot episode’s director
35. He had been interested in adapting the game for years and was set to direct several opening episodes
36. In October 2022, Balagov said he left the project a year prior due to creative differences and his work would not be featured
37. Rose Lam was added as executive producer in February 2021
38. Pre-production in Calgary, Alberta, began on March 15
39. Mazin arrived in May
40. Ali Abbasi and Jasmila Žbanić were announced as directors in April
41. In July 2021, the Directors Guild of Canada revealed Peter Hoar was assigned to direct, followed in August by Mazin, in September by Druckmann, and in January 2022 by Liza Johnson and Jeremy Webb
42. In February, Druckmann confirmed he directed an episode and felt his experience reinforced and reflected his experience in directing games
43. After several months traveling between Calgary and Los Angeles, Druckmann struggled to fulfil obligations at Naughty Dog and returned home to advise remotely, feeling confident in Mazin
44. The Last of Us is said to be the largest television production in Canadian history, expected to generate over CA$200 million in revenue for Alberta
45. Several sources suggest the budget is between US$10 million and US$15 million per episode
46. The New Yorker claimed it exceeded the first five seasons of Game of Thrones
47. Calgary film officials felt the production team partly chose Alberta for production due to the government’s 2021 decision to remove its tax credit cap of CA$10 million per project
48. Canadian artists union IATSE 212 claimed the production led to a 30 percent increase in union membership and employment
49. In July 2021, Mazin said the first season would consist of ten episodes
50. In November 2022, the nine-episode count was confirmed
51. The first episode was originally written as two
52. They were combined after executives at HBO felt the original first episode would not compel viewers to return the following week
53. Mazin suggested a second season is likely if the first is well received
54. The first season covers the events of the first game and its downloadable expansion The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014)
55. Druckmann and Mazin suggested a second season would immediately cover the sequel, The Last of Us Part II (2020), to avoid filler
56. Though Mazin felt Part II would require more than one season
57. He does not want the series to overtake the narrative of the games
58. The writers ensured characters remained true to their developments in Part II in case the show received additional seasons
59. The production team includes five art directors and hundreds of technicians
60. The game’s art director, concept artists, and environment artists provided feedback on the costumes and sets
61. Paul Becker choreographed the series and Barrie Gower is the prosthetics designer, responsible for the designs of the Infected
62. Elastic created the show’s title sequence
63. Mazin enjoyed the idea of the fungus appearing beautiful despite its destructive nature
64. Visual effects studio DNEG are involved with the series, supervised by Alex Wang
65. They consulted with Naughty Dog’s concept artists when creating infected creature
66. The show’s editors are Timothy A. Good and Emily Mendez
67. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Last of Us has an approval rating of 99%
68. Based on 101 reviews
69. With an average rating of 8.7/10
70. The website’s general consensus reads, “Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is bingeworthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations”
71. Metacritic calculated an average of 84 out of 100
72. Based on 36 reviews
73. Indicating “universal acclaim”