New trailer and info on "The Last of Us" TV series from HBO

On 26 September, the developer studio Naughty Dog annually celebrates "Last of Us Day" (formerly known as "Outbreak Day") together with their fans. In the post-apocalyptic universe of the game, this is the day when the devastating Cordyceps epidemic has reached critical mass. Large parts of the population have become infected with the (semi)fictional fungal virus on this date and turned into zombie-like creatures.

Since 2013, fans have been able to look forward to smaller and larger goodies on "Last of Us Day". In the past, there have been competitions, limited-time merch, downloadable content and unreleased behind-the-scenes impressions of the games. For "Last of Us Day" 2022, Naughty Dog has now brought out the big guns and released a first trailer for the eagerly awaited "The Last of Us" TV adaptation by HBO.

The video features many familiar locations and characters that fans of the first "The Last of Us" game will instantly recognise. I've rounded up the most important characters and compared them to their source material
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Joel

Joel Miller, the protagonist of the first game, is embodied in the original by voice actor Troy Baker. In the series, Pedro Pascal, known from "Mandalorian", "Narcos" and "Game of Thrones", takes on the role of the ex-smuggler. In both the game and the series, Joel appears to be wearing the same check shirt in this shot. And the two Joels look a hell of a lot alike in other ways too.

Ellie

Even though Joel is the protagonist of the first game, it's really all about a14-year-old girl. Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps virus and, in the course of the story, embarks on an arduous journey with Joel to obtain a vaccine against the virus. In the game, Ellie is played by Ashley Johnson. In the HBO series, Bella Ramsey, of "Game of Thrones" fame, takes on the role.

Sarah

Joel's daughter is one of the few cast members who, at least outwardly, deviates greatly from the original. She is embodied in the play by Hana Hayes. In the series, Nico Parker takes on the role.

Clicker

Clickers are people infected with the Cordyeps virus and are among the most dangerous enemies in the game. Because they can no longer see anything, they orient themselves, similar to bats, with loud clicking noises. The clicker from the series is in no way inferior to the original in terms of disgust factor.

Bill

Joel's old business partner plays an important role in the course of the story. I don't want to give away more at this point. In the original, he is portrayed by William Earl Brown. In the series, Nick Offerman, known from "Parks & Recreation", plays the crazy loner.

Marlene

In the game, the leader of the rebel group "Fireflies" gives her all to ensure that a vaccine can be developed with the help of Ellie's immunity. In both the game and the series, Merle Dandridge plays the role.

Ryley

Ellie's best friend had a particularly important role in the story DLC "The Last of Us: Left Behind". The expansion took place a few weeks before the events of the main story - I'm curious to see how the two storylines come together in the series. In the game, she is embodied by Yaani King moonshine and in the TV adaptation by Storm Reid.

If you want even more Last of Us, you can head over to the official Naughty Dog blog to download new wallpapers and new Reaction GIFs released as part of Last of Us Day.

In the HBO Max showreel embedded below, you can see some additional (very short) clips from the series. The section featuring "The Last of Us" begins at 1:40 minutes.