Craig Mazin is on top of the world right now. After beginning his Hollywood writing career with several sequels for the ‘Scary Movie’ and ‘Hangover’ franchises, the screenwriter achieved critical acclaim with his hit HBO miniseries, “Chernobyl.” And now, it appears the writer is keeping his relationship with the premium network going strong with another series, “The Last of Us,” which is sure to garner quite a bit of attention.
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According to THR, Mazin is set to co-write and produce a series based on the video game “The Last of Us.” The video game received great reviews and a rabid fanbase when it was released in 2013. And unlike other video games, where the emphasis is on action and killing, the reason that “The Last of Us” became such a hit is due to the engrossing, surprisingly emotional story of a man and a teenage girl traversing the post-apocalyptic US.
And in a move that’s sure to please video game fans and surprise many film and TV watchers, HBO is hiring Neil Druckmann, the creative mind behind the video game, to co-write “The Last of Us” alongside Mazin.
“Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and ‘The Last of Us’ is his magnum opus,” said Mazin. “Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
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Druckmann added, “From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of ‘The Last of Us.’ With ‘Chernobyl,’ Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of ‘The Last of Us’ to life as a television show.”
The first season of “The Last of Us” is said to follow the events of the first game. If the series were to be picked up for future seasons, that storyline would likely follow the sequel game, which is set to be released in May. It’s unclear when “The Last of Us” might arrive on TV screens, as the series is still in the very early stages of development.